Black Hawk drones and Taiwan: Is US raising the stakes with China?

The United States is reportedly converting ageing Cold War-era Black Hawk helicopters into fully autonomous drones. Defence experts say this move could be pivotal in any potential conflict with China over the Taiwan Strait, according to the South China Morning Post.Last year, both the US and China unveiled similar drone systems within a month of each other, with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) converting older aircraft into uncrewed platforms. Sikorsky, the US helicopter maker owned by Lockheed Martin, has showcased the S‑70UAS U‑Hawk, a fully autonomous helicopter based on the UH‑60 Black Hawk, at both the Singapore Airshow and an American military event last October.

The aircraft is being promoted for high‑risk cargo resupply and tactical missions.Ramsey Bentley, Sikorsky’s director of advanced concepts and strategic requirements, said the U‑Hawk is “cockpitless” and capable of carrying up to 10,000 lbs (4,536 kg). With the cockpit removed, cargo space has increased by about 25 per cent, he explained. The drone can be operated using a tablet interface that “allows the operator to pre‑plan missions,” Bentley said.

Bentley added that the U‑Hawk offers a “greater capability than a crewed Black Hawk would be” in concession or hazardous logistics roles.According to the South China Morning Post newspaper, the move comes amid a growing emphasis on uncrewed systems in modern warfare, notably as China rapidly expands its drone capability. The People’s Liberation Army has reportedly converted outdated aircraft into drones, including a former 1950s Soviet‑designed J‑6 fighter unveiled at the Changchun Airshow last September.Timothy Heath, senior defence researcher at the Rand Corporation, said drones converted from manned aircraft have the “additional advantage” of increased range by eliminating pilot space, making uncrewed helicopters attractive for operations across the Pacific.He added that they could be used to “flood the battlespace with drones to overwhelm enemy defences.”Under the 2026 US National Defence Authorisation Act, the Pentagon is directed to engage Taiwan on joint programmes for uncrewed systems and counter‑UAS capabilities.Heath said that such systems “could play a critical role in disrupting PLA operations and enabling US military forces to fight in the Taiwan Strait."