Airbus Helicopters has launched an uncrewed version of the H145 medium twin, the U145, ahead of this week’s ILA Berlin air show. Airbus says the U145 is aimed at a variety of civil and military missions – primarily cargo and logistics, but with roles like disaster management, firefighting, armed scouting, surveillance, drone mothership functionality for air-launched effects, where Airbus is partnering with MBDA, as well as crewed-uncrewed teaming also on the cards for future expansion.
The U145 will be Airbus’ second foray into covering crewed platforms to uncrewed operations following on from the Cabri G2 based VSR700 and will have a specialised sensor suite and artificial intelligence for full autonomy. Compared with a crewed H145 helicopter will include significant adaptations for cargo, such as an integrated nose door including a foldable loading table and a dedicated cargo floor and a MTOW of 3,800kg.
“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 of Airbus Helicopters. “To develop the U145 and its capabilities as a multi-mission UAS, we will be teaming up with leading autonomous mission partners to further expand the UAS ecosystem in Europe.”
The company expects the maiden flight of the U145 (with a safety pilot on board) before the end of the year, with service entry in the early 2030s.
Image: Airbus
