Airbus has revealed an entirely autonomous version of its H145 helicopter, which is designed to deliver payloads for both civilian and military operations.
The U145, which was unveiled during the ILA Berlin airshow, is preparing to undertake its maiden flight with a safety pilot onboard towards the end of 2026, with commercial availability at the beginning of the next decade.
The aircraft can lift up to 3,800kg of cargo and is envisioned as a craft that could support roles such as disaster management, firefighting, armed scouting, surveillance and drone mothership functionality.
Airbus also envisages the aircraft being used to support missions alongside other crewed aircraft, with autonomous helicopters operating alongside traditional helicopters and fighter aircraft.
“With the U145, we are offering our customers an autonomous, uncrewed version of our H145 helicopter – combining the proven airframe, power and useful load of the H145 with the autonomy of a UAS,” said Matthieu Louvot, CEO...