Sikorsky unveils U-Hawk, an autonomous helicopter without crew

The American company Sikorsky, a part of Lockheed Martin, has converted the UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter into an unmanned version called the S-70UAS U-Hawk. The cockpit and crew seats were removed from the model, and instead a door with a cargo ramp was installed. Lockheed Martin reported this to on its official website.

Unlike a conventional helicopter, the U-Hawk is operated by operators, not pilots. Using a tablet, the operator can fully control the helicopter from launch to landing. At the touch of a button, two sliding doors open and the ramp lowers. Once ready to fly, the Matrix automated system creates a route using cameras, sensors, and algorithms to safely navigate to the target.

The manufacturer says that the U-Hawk has 25% more cargo space than the regular Black Hawk. It is capable of carrying missiles, drones, cargo containers or fuel tanks to increase its range. It can also launch swarms of reconnaissance or attack drones. Among the cargoes, the U-Hawk can carry a HIMARS container with six missiles or two strike missiles.

The helicopter's autonomy allows it to stay in the air for up to 14 hours or cover more than 1,600 nautical miles without refueling. The first flight of the autonomous U-Hawk is scheduled for 2026. Sikorsky notes that such modifications can be scaled up for other Black Hawk models .