The Americans are making more and more military equipment unmanned. Yesterday, March 29, Lockheed Martin on its official YouTube channel published a video of tests of the optional S-70 Black Hawk helicopter.
Back in 2014, Sikorsky announced its intention to create a drone based on one of the most popular military helicopters. In 2015, remote control tests were conducted for the Black Hawk, and then the development of a full-fledged autopilot began, which does not require pilot intervention at all stages of the flight.
Optional steerable S-70 Black Hawk helicopter
The unmanned version of the Black Hawk is powered by fly-by-wire technology, which is a development of the Sikorsky MATRIX development and part of the ALIAS project. Sikorsky points out that the development can be used in any combination: with two pilots, with one pilot, or without people in the control cabin at all. Autonomous flight can be programmed in advance or controlled by the operator remotely.