Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, has unveiled the S-70 U-Hawk, a fully autonomous version of the legendary Black Hawk UH-60L helicopter, turning the legacy platform into an unmanned aerial system.
Unveiled at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) conference, the U-Hawk is based on the UH-60A Black Hawk airframe and like the helicopter, the S-70 variant retains the ability to load cargo from the side door and externally lift 9,000 pounds (4,080 kg) using its cargo hook.
No crew, more cargo
Sikorsky has removed the cockpit, seats and crew stations from the aircraft and outfitted it with MATRIX™ autonomy technology, making the U-Hawk helicopter to become the first fully autonomous Black Hawk utility helicopter.
The front-end of the S-70 has been completely redesigned, with clamshell doors and a ramp that makes the area where the cockpit and cabin would have been into an area with 25% more cargo space. With the extra space, the aircraft can carry a wider range of platforms like an uncrewed ground vehicle like the HDT Hunter Wolf 6x6, supplies, and missiles like a HIMARS pod of six rockets or two Naval Strike Missiles,and internal fuel tanks for increased range allowing it to loiter for up to 14 hours without refueling. It also allows for the possibility of launching swarms of reconnaissance or strike drones.
According to reports, the concept for the S-70 was first discussed during last year’s AUSA conference, and the prototype was unveiled at this year’s conference-showcasing the scalability of the platform. The first flight is expected to be next year.
Same DNA, new capabilities
“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.”
As an unmanned aerial system, operators use a table for full command of the U-Hawk. Once the cargo is loaded, the operator inputs mission goals via the tablet. The MATRIX autonomy system automatically generates a flight plan, relying on cameras, sensors and algorithms to help navigate the aircraft.
“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.”
According to the company, the aircraft is capable of executing complex missions without a pilot onboard, reducing risk to personnel and expanding operational reach, especially in environments where crewed aircraft may be vulnerable.