Airbus Unveils U145 Uncrewed Autonomous Cargo Helicopter Based on H145
Airbus Helicopters announced the U145, an uncrewed, autonomous version of its H145 helicopter, designed for civil and military cargo missions. The U145 features a specialized sensor suite and AI for full autonomy, with a 3,800 kg takeoff weight and 2,600 lb payload. First flight with a safety pilot is planned by end of 2026, with service entry early next decade. A mock-up will debut at the ILA Berlin airshow in June 2026.
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Airbus Helicopters Unveils Unmanned U145 at ILA Berlin 2026
At ILA Berlin 2026, Airbus Helicopters introduced the U145, an unmanned variant of the proven H145 helicopter, displayed as a true-to-scale model without rotors. The U145 replaces the cockpit with cargo doors and a loading table, positioning it primarily as a logistics asset rather than combat support. CEO Matthieu Louvot stated the U145 combines the H145's airframe and performance with unmanned autonomy, targeting military, special forces, and civilian users. A first flight with a safety pilot is planned for late 2026. The unveiling coincides with Airbus's strategic renaming of its entire unmanned aircraft portfolio, using a 'U' prefix (e.g., U070 for former VSR700). The U145 inherits the H145's twin-engine configuration, low acoustic signature, and low CO2 emissions. Airbus is also pursuing the US market with the MQ-72C for the US Marine Corps. The article notes a capability gap in armed forces for unmanned rotorcraft that can deliver weapon effects.
CPM Defence Network – News: Verteidigung und WehrtechnikAirbus Helicopters Unveils Unmanned U145 Variant at ILA Berlin
At ILA Berlin, Airbus Helicopters introduced the U145, an unmanned version of the proven H145 helicopter, displayed as a true-to-scale model without rotors. The U145 replaces the cockpit with cargo doors and a loading table, positioning it primarily as a logistics asset rather than combat support. CEO Matthieu Louvot emphasized the combination of the H145's proven airframe with autonomous UAS capabilities. The system targets military, special forces, and civilian organizations, with a first flight (with safety pilot) planned for late 2026. The U145 is the first product under Airbus's new naming scheme, where 'U' denotes 'Uncrewed' followed by the baseline aircraft type number. The article also notes Airbus's parallel US market effort with the MQ-72C for the US Marine Corps competition, and highlights the need for unmanned rotorcraft to address military capability gaps in reconnaissance and weapon delivery.
CPM Defence Network – News: Verteidigung und WehrtechnikAirbus Helicopters Unveils Unmanned U145 Variant at ILA Berlin 2026
At ILA Berlin 2026, Airbus Helicopters introduced the U145, an unmanned version of the proven H145 helicopter. The model displayed lacked rotors, emphasizing the key difference: the absence of a pilot and gained interior cargo space. The U145 is positioned as a logistics asset rather than combat support, featuring two large cargo doors and a fold-out loading table. CEO Matthieu Louvot stated it combines the H145's proven airframe and performance with UAS autonomy. A first flight with a safety pilot is planned for late 2026. The unveiling coincides with Airbus's strategic renaming of its entire UAS portfolio, using the 'U' prefix (e.g., U070 for former VSR700). The U145 targets military, special forces, and civilian organizations, and aims to bridge the gap between small quadcopters and manned systems. Airbus is also pursuing the US market with the MQ-72C for the US Marine Corps.
CPM Defence Network – News: Verteidigung und WehrtechnikAirbus Unveils U145 Uncrewed Cargo Helicopter Based on H145 Platform
Airbus has officially unveiled the U145, an uncrewed cargo helicopter variant of its successful H145 twin-engine light helicopter, ahead of the ILA Berlin airshow. The U145 is designed for risky cargo missions and will have a maximum takeoff weight of about 8,400 pounds and a payload capacity of up to 2,600 pounds. Airbus plans a first flight with a safety pilot onboard before the end of 2026, aiming for entry into service early next decade. The company is pitching the U145 for military roles including armed scouting, surveillance, and as a 'drone mothership' carrying launched effects in partnership with MBDA. The U145 will offer full autonomy via a specialized sensor suite and artificial intelligence, and is intended for crewed-uncrewed teaming with conventional helicopters. The development parallels Airbus's MQ-72C Lakota Connector program for the U.S. military.
The War ZoneAirbus Unveils U145 Uncrewed Cargo Helicopter Based on H145 Platform
Airbus has officially unveiled the U145, an uncrewed version of its H145 twin-engine light helicopter, ahead of the ILA Berlin airshow. The U145 is designed for risky cargo missions and will have a maximum takeoff weight of around 8,400 pounds and a payload capacity of up to 2,600 pounds. Airbus plans a first flight with a safety pilot onboard before the end of 2026, aiming for entry into service at the beginning of the next decade. The company is pitching the U145 for military roles including armed scouting, surveillance, and as a 'drone mothership' capable of carrying launched effects, in partnership with MBDA. The U145 will offer full autonomy with a specialized sensor suite and artificial intelligence, and is intended to operate in crewed-uncrewed teaming configurations alongside conventional helicopters. The development mirrors similar uncrewed helicopter programs globally, notably the MQ-72C Lakota Connector based on the UH-72 Lakota.
The War ZoneAirbus Unveils U145 Uncrewed Cargo Helicopter Based on H145 Platform
Airbus has officially unveiled the U145, an uncrewed version of its H145 twin-engine light helicopter, ahead of the ILA Berlin airshow. The U145 is designed for risky cargo missions and will have a maximum takeoff weight of around 8,400 pounds and a payload capacity of up to 2,600 pounds. Airbus plans a first flight with a safety pilot before the end of 2026, with entry into service targeted for the early 2030s. The company is pitching the U145 for military roles including armed scouting, surveillance, and as a 'drone mothership' capable of carrying launched effects in partnership with MBDA. The U145 will feature full autonomy with a specialized sensor suite and artificial intelligence, and is intended for crewed-uncrewed teaming with conventional helicopters. The development parallels Airbus's MQ-72C Lakota Connector program for the U.S. military.
The War ZoneAirbus Helicopters Plans to Launch Uncrewed Version of H145
Airbus Helicopters has announced plans to develop the U145, an uncrewed version of its H145 helicopter. The company aims to conduct a maiden flight with a safety pilot by the end of 2026, with entry into service targeted for the start of the next decade. The U145 will be based on the H145 airframe and equipped with a specialized sensor suite and artificial intelligence for fully autonomous operation. Unlike the conventional H145, it will lack a physical cockpit and will be adapted for cargo operations with an integrated nose door, foldable loading table, and specialized cargo floor. The helicopter has a maximum take-off weight of 3,800kg and is designed for both civil and military missions, including high-volume cargo supply, disaster management, firefighting, armed reconnaissance, surveillance, and acting as a drone mothership. A full-scale mock-up will be showcased at the ILA Berlin airshow in June 2026. Airbus Helicopters CEO Matthieu Louvot stated the company will team up with leading autonomous mission partners to expand the UAS ecosystem in Europe.
Army TechnologyAirbus Helicopters Plans to Launch Uncrewed Version of H145
Airbus Helicopters has announced plans to develop the U145, an uncrewed, autonomous version of its existing H145 helicopter. The company aims to conduct a maiden flight with a safety pilot by the end of 2026, with entry into service targeted for the start of the next decade. The U145 will be based on the H145 airframe but will lack a physical cockpit, instead featuring a specialized sensor suite and artificial intelligence for fully autonomous operation. It will be adapted for cargo operations with an integrated nose door, foldable loading table, and specialized cargo floor, and will have a maximum take-off weight of 3,800 kg. The modular design is intended to serve both civil and military missions, including cargo supply, disaster management, firefighting, armed reconnaissance, surveillance, and acting as a drone mothership. A full-scale mock-up will be showcased at the ILA Berlin airshow in June 2026. Airbus Helicopters CEO Matthieu Louvot stated the company will partner with leading autonomous mission firms to expand the UAS ecosystem in Europe.
Army TechnologyAirbus Helicopters Plans Uncrewed Version of H145 Helicopter
Airbus Helicopters has announced plans to develop the U145, an uncrewed, autonomous version of its existing H145 helicopter. The U145 will be based on the H145 airframe but will lack a physical cockpit, instead featuring a specialized sensor suite and artificial intelligence for fully autonomous operation. It is designed for cargo operations with an integrated nose door, foldable loading table, and specialized cargo floor, with a maximum take-off weight of 3,800 kg. The modular design allows adaptation for civil and military missions including disaster management, firefighting, armed reconnaissance, surveillance, and acting as a drone mothership. Airbus aims to conduct a maiden flight with a safety pilot by the end of 2026, with entry into service targeted for the start of the next decade. A full-scale mock-up will be displayed at the ILA Berlin airshow in June 2026. Airbus CEO Matthieu Louvot stated the company will partner with leading autonomous mission partners to expand the UAS ecosystem in Europe. Over 1,800 H145 family helicopters are in service worldwide, accumulating more than 8.5 million flight hours.
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