美国海军陆战队对西科斯基的U-Hawk非常感兴趣，这是一种无驾驶舱、用于货物运输的黑鹰直升机变体，西科斯基首席执行官理查德·本顿向Axios透露了这一信息。这很重要：军事自主化的热潮仍在继续，且与军种无关。
The U.S. Marine Corps is "very interested" in the U-Hawk, a cockpitless, cargo-hauling variant of the Black Hawk helicopter, Sikorsky chief Richard Benton told Axios. Why it matters: The military autonomy boom times continue — and are service-agnostic.
快速回顾：西科斯基是洛克希德·马丁公司的子公司，去年十月在美国陆军协会年会上首次展示了U-Hawk。预计该机将在今年首次试飞。
Catch up quick: Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, unveiled the U-Hawk at the Association of the U.S. Army conference last October. It's expected to fly for the first time this year.
“这实际上就是：'嘿，我们要制造它，因为我们认为你们需要它'，而它的可用性将创造需求或需求，”本顿说。“而这就是我们一直在看到的情况。”
"This has really been: 'Hey, we're going to build it because we think you need it,' and having it available will create the need or the demand," Benton said. "And that's what we've been seeing."
重点：U-Hawk原型机基于较老的UH-60L型，也被称为“利马”型。
Zoom in: The U-Hawk prototype is based on an older UH-60L, also known as Lima.
该机原本设计用于运输数吨物资，包括无人机、火箭或地面机器人，其驾驶舱被改造成储物空间，机头现在配备了蚌壳式门和坡道。
Designed to shuttle tons of materiel, including drones, rockets or ground robotics, its cockpit was traded for storage space and its nose now opens with clamshell doors and a ramp.
“你希望实现金属与金属的接触，或者你不想让人员处于危险之中？它在这方面很有效，”本顿说。“但它很快演变为：'我需要运输物资，并且需要大规模运输。'”有趣的是：还有计划将UH-60M型（也称为“麦克”型）改装为U-Hawk。物理改装套件也在考虑之中。
"You want to have metal-on-metal contact, or you don't want to put people in harm's way? It works for that," Benton said. "But it's quickly evolved to: 'I need to move stuff, and I need to move it en masse.'" The intrigue: There are also plans to convert UH-60Ms, or Mikes.
结论：“我们目前还没有涂装海军陆战队灰色的版本，”本顿说，“但我确实预计很快就会有一架涂装海军陆战队灰色的U-Hawk出现。”}
Physical conversion kits are also on the table. The bottom line: "We don't have a version with the Marine gray on it yet," Benton said, "but I do anticipate there will be a Marine gray U-Hawk very soon."