UH-60 Black Hawk Reborn as a Fully Autonomous Cargo Workhorse

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, is redefining one of the most iconic military helicopters in history. The UH-60 Black Hawk, long known as the U.S. Army’s dependable utility helicopter, has been transformed into an uncrewed cargo aircraft called the S-70UAS U-Hawk.

Developed in just ten months, the U-Hawk replaces the traditional cockpit with actuated clamshell doors and a loading ramp, increasing internal capacity by 25 percent. With no pilot onboard, it is controlled through a tablet interface while Sikorsky’s MATRIX autonomy system handles all flight functions, from takeoff to landing.

Autonomous Power and Performance

Converted from an ex-U.S. Army UH-60L, the U-Hawk retains much of the Black Hawk’s proven design but adds a third-generation fly-by-wire system and advanced sensors for fully autonomous operation. The aircraft can self-deploy over 1,600 nautical miles and stay airborne for up to 14 hours without refueling.

This new configuration opens the door to missions never before possible for a Black Hawk. Operators can load uncrewed ground vehicles, transport ammunition and supplies, or even launch drone swarms directly from its cargo bay. Its front-loading doors allow vehicles to drive straight off, even with the rotors spinning.

Rapid Development and Cost Efficiency

According to Sikorsky vice president Rich Benton, the company moved from concept to flight-ready prototype in under a year. By leveraging the existing UH-60 airframe, Sikorsky avoided the high costs of a clean-sheet design. Nearly 95 percent of the helicopter’s parts remain compatible with current Black Hawks, allowing large-scale conversions at a fraction of the cost of new aircraft.

Igor Cherepinsky, director of Sikorsky Innovations, explained that designing in-house vehicle management computers and actuation systems significantly reduced expenses. The U-Hawk can be flown by operators with minimal training, making it accessible for both military and logistics missions.

A Glimpse Into Sikorsky’s Autonomous Future

The U-Hawk marks Sikorsky’s most ambitious step yet into the uncrewed aircraft systems market. It builds on years of autonomous flight testing, including a landmark MATRIX-powered Black Hawk flight with DARPA in 2022.

Alongside the new Nomad drone family, the U-Hawk shows Sikorsky’s commitment to autonomy across all mission sizes. Where Nomad covers smaller tactical needs, the U-Hawk fills the heavy-lift gap between drones and manned cargo aircraft like the C-130.

With the U.S. Army set to retire over 150 older UH-60s, Sikorsky’s U-Hawk may give these proven airframes a second life as next-generation autonomous cargo haulers, combining legacy reliability with cutting-edge autonomy.