Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky has taken the subsequent logical step in making a Black Hawk helicopter autonomous by not solely putting in the gear wanted for self-flying, however by yanking out your complete cockpit and changing it with cargo doorways.
Making a Black Hawk helicopter autonomous is not new. DARPA and Sikorsky have been doing conversions on manufacturing variations of the plane for years – they’ve even been testing them as firefighting platforms. That is effective if the aim is to make Black Hawks pilot non-compulsory, however how about eliminating the pilot and the cockpit altogether?
Revealed on the Affiliation of the USA Military (AUSA) exposition this week, the S-70UAS U-Hawk is Sikorsky’s reply to that query. Primarily based on the UH-60L Black Hawk, it shares the identical strains of its predecessor aside from one obvious distinction. There is not any cockpit, no home windows, no seats – in truth, no provision for any passengers or crew.
Introducing the S-70UAS™ U-Hawk™
The concept is to supply a brand new logistical and air assault Black Hawk to service troopers within the area. In response to Lockheed, it took solely 10 months to go from idea to roll out, with the primary flight anticipated in 2026.
On the coronary heart of the U-Hawk is Sikorsky’s Matrix autonomy expertise mixed with a third-generation fly-by-wire system. Put in in each crewed and uncrewed plane, this acts as a digital co-pilot that may routinely generate flight plan, navigate the craft, and keep away from obstacles and threats via on-board cameras. In different phrases, it may deal with a full mission from take off to close down with no human pilot.
Due to this, the U-Hawk is not designed for a pilot. As an alternative, it has an operator who would not essentially have any pilot coaching. Utilizing a ruggedized pill, the operator inputs the high-level mission objectives and the Matrix system takes it from there.
Lockheed Martin
Essentially the most dramatic bodily change is that the cockpit has been changed by clamshell doorways and a ramp that gives the helicopter with 25% extra cargo area. This not solely will increase payload quantity so the U-Hawk can carry outsized cargo like HIMARS pods or two Naval Strike Missiles, it additionally turns the plane right into a roll-on roll-off platform for uncrewed floor autos. As well as, it may carry drone swarms and inner gasoline tanks for prolonged vary.
Sikorsky says that the reconfiguration consists of improved T700-GE-701C engines, an upgraded gearbox, and a rise in exterior elevate capability from 8,000 lb (3,630 kg) to 9,000 lb (4,082 kg).
“Sikorsky is innovating a twenty first century resolution by changing UH‑60L Black Hawks into a completely autonomous utility platform,” mentioned Wealthy Benton, Sikorsky vice chairman and normal supervisor. “We developed this prototype from idea to actuality in underneath a 12 months, and the modifications made to remodel this crewed Black Hawk right into a multi-mission payload UAS will be replicated at scale rapidly and affordably. The U-Hawk continues the Black Hawk legacy of being the world’s premier utility plane and opens the door to new capabilities as a UAS.”
Supply: Lockheed Martin
