CHILLING video has revealed a newly developed futuristic military robot helicopter that can fly into battle without a pilot.
The New Black Hawk chopper variant was unveiled on Monday by manufacturers Sikorsky, and has been revealed to be missing an essential element of almost any aircraft – the helicopter has no cockpit.
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In video released by the company, the autonomous helicopter – the first of its kind – can be seen in simulations flying into war zones without a pilot.
The machine has large front-facing doors that open to a holding area, that can carry more than 33 tonnes of cargo, weaponry and vehicles.
Sikorsky also say the chopper can cover 100km in just 16 hours.
The helicopter is able to launch swarms of reconnaissance or strike drones and drop off uncrewed ground vehicles through its clam-shell doors.
The lack of cockpit provides extra cargo room, which enables the transport of oversized loads, such as armaments like a HIMARS pod of six rockets, or two Naval Strike Missiles.
A spokesperson from Sikorsky said the design process had taken the company 10 months from concept to build reality.
The manufacturer transformed the previous model UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter into the S-70UAS U-Hawk.
Described as a versatile, autonomous unmanned aircraft system (UAS) the chopper has 25 per cent more cargo space than a typical Black Hawk.
It is able to carry internal fuel tanks, meaning it can loiter for up to 14 hours without refuelling.
It also offers an increased fly range of 1840 miles.
Operators can drive the military helicopter using a tablet, from start-up to shut down.
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Rich Benton, Sikorsky vice-president and general manager said: “Sikorsky is innovating a 21st-century solution by converting UH-60L Black Hawks into a fully autonomous utility platform”.
“We developed this prototype from concept to reality in under a year,” he said.
“The modifications made to transform this crewed Black Hawk into a multi-mission payload UAS can be replicated at scale quickly and affordably.
“The U-Hawk continues the Black Hawk legacy of being the world’s premier utility aircraft and opens the door to new capabilities as a UAS,” he added.
The new flight machine could change the face of military-operated helicopters, as another manufacturer looks to make waves in retail with floating warehouses.
Developers claim the futuristic blimps could slash delivery times and costs, while cutting pollution and dodging traffic jams.
The radical idea is being spearheaded by Aeros, an airship manufacturer based in Los Angeles.
Bosses say a 555ft “flying warehouse” could be tested over LA as early as this year.
The enormous vessels aren’t just for shopping – they’re being designed to deliver humanitarian aid, ship massive items like wind turbines, or even act as airborne factories.
Lead designer Igor Pasternak, who has been working on the project for more than a decade, says the concept is finally ready for reality.
Insisting the designs are close to being built, Pasternak said the airships “will be able to rise and descend vertically and remain in a stable hover for long periods [of time]”.
The company hopes to kick things off with a pilot this year – using the Sky Dragon surveillance airship to trial drone deliveries across a small patch of Los Angeles.
