The US helicopter maker Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary, has revealed a drone version of its famous Black Hawk helicopter. This uncrewed Black Hawk, called the U-Hawk, was showcased at the Singapore Airshow. It has no cockpit, allowing a 25% larger cargo space and can carry heavy weapons like the HIMARS rocket system. Frank Crisafulli, Sikorsky’s director of global pursuits, said the demand for the U-Hawk comes from "the perception of what the threat is in the region," referring to geopolitical tensions in Asia-Pacific. The Black Hawk family, first built in the 1970s, is widely used by US allies like Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Notably, China’s own military, the PLA, also uses older Black Hawks. Ramsey Bentley, Sikorsky's director of advanced concepts, explained the U-Hawk is fully autonomous and controlled through a tablet interface, allowing operators to plan missions in advance. This makes it more capable and safer to use in dangerous areas compared to the manned version. China's PLA is rapidly expanding its drone forces and retrofitting old aircraft into drones. In September, it showed off a combat drone made from an old Soviet-designed jet. US experts say drones can fly farther without pilots and can be used in large numbers to overwhelm enemies. The US is boosting drone production with Asia-Pacific allies to balance China’s drone strength, especially near Taiwan, which China claims as its own. Washington opposes any forceful takeover and supports Taiwan’s defense with weapons. A recent US defense law encourages joint drone programs with Taiwan. Experts like Timothy Heath from the Rand Corporation note that such uncrewed aircraft can do long-range missions, reconnaissance, and attacks which manned helicopters currently conduct. Deploying drones like U-Hawks from allied bases could disrupt PLA operations in the Taiwan Strait. Liselotte Odgaard, from the Hudson Institute, said China's fast drone growth has pushed Asian countries to work closer with the US. She highlighted that China’s drone swarms make regular helicopter flights risky in hotspots like the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, raising the need for advanced drone systems.