Aviation News – Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, has transformed a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter into the S-70UAS U-Hawk, a versatile autonomous unmanned aircraft system that significantly enhances mission capacity and flexibility for military operations.
The rapid prototyping group Sikorsky Innovations spearheaded the ambitious project, converting the crewed UH-60L Black Hawk into the uncrewed U-Hawk in just ten months. Unveiled at the Association of the United States Army exposition in Washington on October 13, 2025, the conversion involves replacing the cockpit with actuated clamshell doors and integrating a new low-cost, fly-by-wire system.
By eliminating the cockpit and internal components, the U-Hawk provides 25% more cargo space, enabling it to accommodate oversized loads like HIMARS rocket pods or uncrewed ground vehicles. Its autonomous flight is managed by the MATRIX™ autonomy technology, which allows an operator to command the aircraft from a tablet, inputting mission goals while the system automatically generates and navigates the flight plan.
Rich Benton, Sikorsky vice president and general manager, emphasized the forward-looking nature of the design. “Sikorsky is innovating a 21st century solution by converting UH-60L Black Hawks into a fully autonomous utility platform,” Benton stated. “We developed this prototype from concept to reality in under a year, and the modifications… can be replicated at scale quickly and affordably. The U-Hawk continues the Black Hawk legacy.”
Looking ahead to its expected first flight in 2026, the U-Hawk promises a cost-effective utility UAS option by leveraging commonality with the existing UH-60 fleet while drastically reducing both operating and maintenance costs due to its uncrewed nature. The new configuration supports self-deployment over 1600 nautical miles or extended loitering for up to 14 hours, signifying a major leap in operational endurance.
The S-70UAS U-Hawk represents a rapid and significant modernization of a legendary utility aircraft, transforming the crewed Black Hawk into a high-capacity, battle-ready autonomous system. By maximizing cargo capacity and integrating cutting-edge autonomy, the platform is poised to redefine air assault resupply and launch critical effects for future military missions.
