Sikorsky unveiled cargo drone prototype based on Black Hawk

The American company Sikorsky has presented a prototype of the new cargo drone S-70UAS U-Hawk, created on the basis of the UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter. The premiere took place at the AUSA 2025 exhibition, reports Defence Blog.

The new version does not have a cockpit – instead, a sliding nose and a cargo ramp are installed. This allowed to increase the interior space by 25% compared to the original Black Hawk.

The presented Sikorsky S-70UAS U-Hawk is designed to transport missiles, small vehicles, modular containers or groups of drones. It is also possible to install additional fuel tanks.

The U-Hawk is capable of carrying up to 4 tons of cargo on an external suspension. The cruising range is more than 1,600 nautical miles (about 3,000 km) on a single refueling. In hover mode, the drone can be up to 14 hours without refueling.

The U-Hawk is controlled by a tablet, as well as a built-in MATRIX automatic piloting system, which independently builds a route, analyzing data from cameras, sensors and navigation algorithms without human intervention.

The MATRIX system is also capable of interacting with ground-based unmanned vehicles. At AUSA, the company demonstrated the delivery and recovery of a 6×6 HDT Hunter Wolf ground drone using the front loading ramp.

Saab previously unveiled its own helicopter drone in Poland, capable of speeds of up to 140 km/h. It is already in production and being delivered to customers in Europe, North America and Asia, and is also undergoing trials for the Spanish Navy.