New Black Hawk cargo drone unveiled

Lockheed Martin has unveiled an uncrewed version of the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, known as the S-70UAS U-Hawk, which the company says is the world’s first fully autonomous Black Hawk platform.

The development, announced on 13 October, is a major step in transforming a proven military airframe into an uncrewed multi-mission system, according to the company.

Developed by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, the U-Hawk was converted from a UH-60L Black Hawk in under a year. Engineers removed the cockpit and crew stations, installing a new fly-by-wire control system integrated with Sikorsky’s MATRIX autonomy technology. The result, Lockheed Martin stated, is a platform with 25 percent more cargo capacity than the standard crewed helicopter.

Rich Benton, Sikorsky vice president and general manager, was quoted in the release as saying that the design “offers enhanced firepower, protection, and mobility” while remaining affordable and easily replicable at scale. The company’s Sikorsky Innovations division led the redesign, with the first flight of the U-Hawk expected in 2026.

The modified airframe’s larger internal space allows it to transport bulk cargo, missiles, or uncrewed ground vehicles, and to launch reconnaissance or strike drones. The aircraft can also carry additional internal fuel for increased range, with Lockheed Martin claiming potential endurance of up to 14 hours or a range exceeding 1,600 nautical miles.

Unlike conventional helicopters, the U-Hawk is operated by a single user through a tablet interface. Once cargo is loaded, an operator inputs mission goals, and the MATRIX system autonomously generates and executes a flight plan using onboard sensors and cameras for navigation.

Sikorsky’s autonomy team highlighted that removing the cockpit not only increases usable space but also reduces cost. Igor Cherepinsky, director of Sikorsky Innovations, said that by leveraging commonality with existing UH-60 fleets, the U-Hawk provides “a cost-effective utility UAS” while cutting operating and maintenance requirements.

The U-Hawk can still perform side-door cargo loading and external lift missions of up to 9,000 pounds. It is designed for tasks such as resupply, casualty evacuation, and launch-and-recovery operations for uncrewed systems.

Lockheed Martin said the design demonstrates how autonomous variants could extend the life and flexibility of legacy Black Hawk fleets while expanding mission profiles into higher-risk environments.