Airbus unveils uncrewed H145 helicopter
A maiden flight of the new aircraft, called the U145, is due to be launched by the end of 2026
Airbus has announced that it will showcase an uncrewed version of the H145, known as the U145, at the ILA Berlin airshow.
The showcase will include a full-scale mock-up of the aircraft, which is due to take its maiden flight with a safety pilot on board by the end of this year.
Airbus stated that the U145 would feature a “specialized sensor suite and artificial intelligence for full autonomy”. Unlike a standard H145, the U145 has no physical cockpit, with the space being adapted to provide additional interior space and an integrated nose loading door.
The aircraft will have a maximum takeoff weight of 3,800kg, and is being developed for roles such as disaster management, firefighting, armed scouting, surveillance, and “drone mothership functionality”.
The U145 is the second uncrewed helicopter model being developed by Airbus, following the VSR700, which is derived from the Cabri G2.
“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 French government recently placed an order with Airbus for the supply of six VSR700 uncrewed aerial systems for use by the French Navy.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at the Voyageur Group. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.