AUSA 2025: Sikorsky unveils S-70UAS U-Hawk turning Black Hawk into an autonomous helicopter.

At AUSA 2025 in Washington, Sikorsky introduced the S-70UAS U-Hawk, an autonomous evolution of the UH-60L Black Hawk. The new system signals a major step in uncrewed helicopter operations, expanding U.S. military flexibility for logistics, surveillance, and combat missions.

Washington D.C., United States, October 13, 2025 - At the opening of the Association of the United States Army’s annual meeting, AUSA 2025, Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, introduced the S-70UAS U-Hawk, its first fully autonomous version of the legendary Black Hawk helicopter. Built on the proven UH-60L platform, the U-Hawk integrates Sikorsky’s MATRIX autonomy suite and modular open systems architecture, enabling uncrewed missions for combat support, logistics, reconnaissance, and coordinated drone swarm operations. Company officials described the aircraft as a key step toward a future where U.S. Army rotorcraft can operate independently in high-risk environments while reducing crew exposure and expanding mission endurance.
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Front view of the Sikorsky S-70UAS U-Hawk unmanned helicopter unveiled at AUSA 2025, showing the fully removed cockpit section replaced by a forward cargo bay with actuated clamshell doors and integrated loading ramp. The configuration reflects a complete transformation from crewed flight to autonomous mission capability. (Picture source: Army Recognition Group)

Unlike previous unmanned conversions or optionally piloted variants, the U‑Hawk has no cockpit. In its place, Sikorsky engineers have installed actuated clamshell doors and a powered cargo ramp, expanding internal volume by 25 percent over the standard Black Hawk and unlocking new mission profiles for autonomous utility aviation. The flight controls have been entirely replaced by a low-cost, third-generation fly-by-wire system integrated with the MATRIX autonomy suite, enabling full operational control via remote interface with no onboard crew.

This transformation is more than structural. It reflects a strategic reimagining of how rotorcraft support warfighters in contested zones. The U‑Hawk is designed to deliver large payloads, deploy ground vehicles, launch sensor drones, and conduct long-endurance missions without exposing pilots to danger. It is the clearest sign yet of the Pentagon’s shift toward autonomous logistics and battlefield survivability.

“We’ve taken the DNA of the Black Hawk, the most trusted utility aircraft in the world, and re-engineered it into an entirely new class of capability,” said Rich Benton, vice president and general manager of Sikorsky. “The U‑Hawk is not just a technical demonstrator. It’s a blueprint for affordable autonomy, scalable modernization, and battlefield logistics without the risk to crew.”

Led by Sikorsky Innovations, the redesign removes all manned flight components such as seats, instruments, and crew stations, freeing up enough cabin space to accommodate four Joint Modular Intermodal Containers, a HIMARS rocket pod, or two Naval Strike Missiles. Operators can also fit internal fuel tanks for endurance profiles exceeding 14 hours or 1,600 nautical miles in range.

Mission types envisioned include rapid resupply, ISR drone deployment, and air-to-ground autonomous teaming with uncrewed ground systems like the HDT Hunter Wolf 6x6 UGV. Cargo can be loaded directly through the forward clamshell doors, allowing for drive-on and drive-off loading without manual handling. External lift capacity remains at 9,000 pounds, maintaining the core utility function of the legacy Black Hawk.

A single operator with a tablet interface commands the U‑Hawk from engine start to mission completion. The MATRIX system generates autonomous flight paths, manages obstacle avoidance, and adjusts course dynamically using onboard vision sensors and real-time processing algorithms.

Igor Cherepinsky, director of Sikorsky Innovations, emphasized the modularity and cost efficiency. “We designed the U‑Hawk with a retrofit mindset. Every component we engineered — actuators, computers, airframe mods — can be scaled to other aircraft. That’s the game-changer. We can take Black Hawks already in service and give them this autonomous capability without building from scratch.”

The demonstrator aircraft, built from a standard UH‑60L, is expected to fly in 2026. Sikorsky aims to offer a scalable upgrade path for the U.S. Army’s aging UH‑60 fleet, effectively rejuvenating legacy airframes with high-tech autonomy and extended mission value. Early interest is reported from Army logistics and special operations commands focused on contested logistics and theater-wide distribution in denied airspaces.

The strategic calculus is clear. In a future of dispersed operations and peer threats, crewless cargo helicopters may be the key to keeping frontline units resupplied and connected. The U‑Hawk, born from the most iconic military helicopter of the last half-century, now points toward the utility rotorcraft of the next.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.