Airbus imitates the U-Hawk with the U145, an unmanned version of the H145 helicopter

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are becoming an increasingly successful aspect of the international defense industry.

The qualities of the H145M, chosen to be the main helicopter of the Spanish Army
Sikorsky unveils the U-Hawk, the unmanned variant of the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter

In October, Sikorsky unveiled the U-Hawk, the unmanned version of its famous UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, completely eliminating the crew cabin and dedicating the entire interior of the aircraft to cargo, with an eye toward converting old US Army Black Hawks for logistical missions.

A few months later, the U-Hawk has seen the emergence of a European competitor. Yesterday, Airbus Helicopters announced the U145, ahead of its presentation at the ILA air show in Berlin with a full-scale mock-up, of which they only showed the image you can see above. Today, Airbus Helicopters released this video of the U145:

Airbus Helicopters has indicated that the first flight of the U145 with a safety pilot on board will take place at the end of 2026, with its entry into service at the beginning of the next decade. This is a somewhat extended timeframe considering that Sikorki only took 10 months to go from developing the concept to a finished helicopter.

The U145's basic design is identical to that of the U-Hawk: the crew positions are gone, and the helicopter's nose loses its glazed design, incorporating two side-opening doors. Unlike the U-Hawk, the U145 has a folding loading table, designed to facilitate loading with forklifts.

Airbus has indicated that the U145 will be equipped with a suite of specialized sensors and artificial intelligence to achieve complete autonomy. The aircraft's interior will feature a dedicated cargo floor, similar to that of tactical transport aircraft, to facilitate cargo handling.

The U145 will have a payload of 1,200 kg, according to Airbus Helicopters, as stated in the video. Yesterday, the European company announced that its maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) will be 3,800 kg. Furthermore, the aircraft will be aimed at both military and civilian customers, for missions such as disaster management, firefighting, armed reconnaissance, surveillance, drone carrier operations for aerial effects, and joint manned and unmanned aircraft operations.

One of the undeniable advantages of the U145 over the U-Hawk stems from the H145's design itself. Like other Airbus helicopters, it features two very useful rear cargo doors, for example, for loading stretchers during medical evacuations. Airbus Helicopters points out that the helicopter will have 360° access for loading, unlike the U-Hawk, which lacks rear cargo doors.

The European company has already identified a potential buyer: "In the United States, Airbus U.S. Space & Defense is, together with its partners Shield AI, L3 Harris and Parry Lab, offering the US Marine Corps a dedicated US development, the MQ-72C, which is a fully autonomous variant of the well proven Lakota UH-72B, tailored to their specific needs."

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Images: Airbus Helicopters.