Overview
- Airbus unveiled a full‑scale mock‑up of the U145 at the ILA Berlin airshow, Monday, June 8, 2026, showing an H145 redesigned as a cockpit‑less, fully autonomous rotorcraft.
- The U145 removes the pilot station and adds a specialized sensor suite and AI for autonomy while reworking the nose, floor and doors into a cargo‑first layout with a foldable loading table.
- Airbus said it plans a first flight with a safety pilot by the end of 2026 and is targeting entry into service in the early 2030s, subject to testing, integration and certification steps.
- The company intends to team with autonomy and mission partners and has named MBDA for air‑launched effects work, while a separate U.S. effort (the MQ‑72C) and rivals like Sikorsky’s U‑Hawk show growing competition.
- Airbus highlights commonality with more than 1,800 H145s in service to lower support costs, and the design aims to reduce risk to crews by shifting high‑volume resupply and dangerous missions to unmanned operations.