Sikorsky Converts Iconic Black Hawk Into Fully Unmanned ‘U-HAWK’ as Army Eyes Autonomous Lift

Reconfigured UH-60 sheds cockpit, gains 20% more payload volume, and showcases multi-mission autonomy at AUSA as Sikorsky pivots toward drone-enabled Army aviation

WASHINGTON | Sikorsky has taken one of the U.S. Army’s most recognizable aircraft and pushed it decisively into the unmanned era. The company this week unveiled a fully unmanned Black Hawk, designated the S-70 UAS and nicknamed the “U-HAWK,” at the Association of the United States Army annual conference—signaling a major leap in autonomous rotary-wing aviation.

Unlike earlier demonstrations of optionally piloted flight, the U-HAWK has been completely reconfigured as a pure unmanned aircraft, with no cockpit or flight controls. The transformation, executed in less than 10 months, underscores Sikorsky’s push to modernize the Army’s workhorse helicopter for a future increasingly defined by autonomy, logistics at scale, and contested operations.

From Optionally Piloted to Fully Uncrewed

Sikorsky’s latest advance builds on years of experimentation with its Matrix autonomy architecture. At last year’s AUSA, the company remotely flew an optionally piloted Black Hawk from the show floor in Washington while the aircraft operated in Connecticut.

This year’s reveal goes further.