On Monday, October 13, 2025, during the opening of the AUSA 2025 military equipment exhibition in Washington (scheduled to run until October 15), Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, unveiled the S-70UAS U-Hawk – an unmanned, autonomous helicopter technology demonstrator built on the S-70/H-60 Black Hawk platform.
Photos: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
The technology demonstrator was developed in just 10 months, from concept to the conversion of a manned UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter, from which the entire cockpit was removed, resulting in 25% more cargo space. A front loading ramp with side-opening doors was installed. The standard fly-by-wire flight control system was replaced with the MATRIX autonomous flight system, previously tested on the Black Hawk platform. MATRIX uses satellite communications as well as optical and laser-radar (lidar) sensors to avoid obstacles. It was developed as a key component of the ALIAS (Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System) pilot-assist program, enabling the helicopter to operate as an unmanned aerial vehicle.
The S-70UAS U-Hawk offers:
- the ability to transport longer cargo (e.g., rocket ammunition such as a container with six GMLRS guided rockets for the M142 HIMARS, or two containers each holding a single RGM-184A NSM anti-ship missile) and to handle roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) operations,
- the capability to carry unmanned ground vehicles such as the HDT Hunter Wolf 6×6, which can autonomously drive in and out of the cargo bay,
- the ability to launch combat and reconnaissance drones from onboard containers during flight for swarm operations (integration of the UH-60 Black Hawk with unmanned aerial systems),
- the option to install additional internal fuel tanks to extend flight range up to 2,963 km (1,600 nautical miles) or endurance up to 14 hours.
Like the UH-60L aircraft, the U-Hawk variant retains the ability to load through side doors and to carry external sling loads of up to 4,080 kg (9,000 lb).
The S-70UAS U-Hawk is controlled via tablet using encrypted satellite communications. Both flight operations and cargo loading/unloading are conducted remotely.
“Sikorsky is innovating a 21st century solution by converting UH‑60L Black Hawks into a fully autonomous utility platform,” said Rich Benton, Sikorsky vice president and general manager. “We developed this prototype from concept to reality in under a year, and the modifications made to transform this crewed Black Hawk into a multi-mission payload UAS can be replicated at scale quickly and affordably. The U-Hawk continues the Black Hawk legacy of being the world’s premier utility aircraft and opens the door to new capabilities as a UAS.”
The redesign and structural modification of the UH-60L helicopter into the unmanned U-Hawk configuration was carried out by Sikorsky Innovations. The first flight is expected in 2026.
By removing the cockpit, all seats, and crew stations, the U-Hawk becomes the first fully autonomous multirole helicopter in the Black Hawk family.
“The U‑Hawk offers a cost‑effective utility UAS by leveraging commonality with the existing UH‑60 fleet, and its uncrewed nature reduces both operating and maintenance costs,” said Igor Cherepinsky, Sikorsky Innovations director. “We focused on efficiencies in the retrofit by designing and manufacturing vehicle management computers, actuation components and airframe modifications. We will incorporate those efficiencies into future modifications and manufacturing for our family of UAS products.“
