U-Hawk autonomous Black Hawk helicopter debuts, first flight set for 2026

The iconic Black Hawk helicopter made by Sikorsky is getting a high-tech upgrade after a fully autonomous, uncrewed variant known as the U-Hawk was revealed this week.

The U-Hawk helicopter went from concept to reality in ten months and is on track for its first flight in 2026. It debuted with a display at the annual Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) conference in Washington, D.C.

Sikorsky, which is a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, refers to the helicopter as the S-70 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), or U-Hawk for short. The unmanned variant increases the helicopter’s cargo capacity, while also increasing its availability due to the lack of a crew who needs downtime.

“The Black Hawk is an iconic capability known worldwide, and it’s not just in the military role that we see this aircraft,” Erskine “Ramsey” Bentley, director of strategic requirements at Sikorsky, told FOX Business in an interview. 

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A look inside the cargo door of the Sikorsky U-Hawk helicopter. (Courtesy of Lockheed Martin / Fox News)

Sikorsky began developing the autonomous capability for Black Hawk helicopters in concert with DARPA’s ALIAS program to add a drop-in, removable system that can automate systems that reduce the need for onboard aircrew — a process which led to the development of Sikorsky’s MATRIX technology.

At last year’s AUSA, Sikorsky demonstrated that capability and flew a modified Black hawk autonomously from over 300 miles away, which spurred interest from the military and other potential commercial clients. Late last year, Sikorsky bought a UH-60L Black Hawk from the Army in December and began revamping it to the U-Hawk concept, a process which took 10 months.

“We decided we would go with clamshell doors, so we had the two upper doors that open up, and then the floor actually forms the ramp that drops down,” Bentley explained. “That allows us to literally drive UGVs, all-terrain vehicles, motorbikes, whatever up into the aircraft.”

A Sikorsky S-70 UAS “U-Hawk” helicopter with its cargo bay open. (Courtesy of Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky / Fox News)

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Bentley said the U-Hawk can carry over 7,000 pounds internally, while Sikorsky kept the cargo hook on the bottom of the aircraft which is rated at 9,000 pounds. Bentley said they believe the aircraft is outfitted for 10,000 pounds combined between internal and external loads, given the maximum gross weight of the aircraft.

The U-Hawk is designed to conduct contested logistics missions, which involve flying into hostile airspace to deliver needed supplies to military personnel in harm’s way.

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