07 October 2025
Less than a year after proving the flight efficiency and reliability of a novel rotor blown wing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS), Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company is unveiling its Nomad future family of aircraft.
The twin proprotor design combines the versatility of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing airplane. A Nomad aircraft can take off, hover, and land vertically, plus cruise on the wing for extended periods. Nomads are operated via Sikorsky’s MATRIX autonomy technology and predominantly use hybrid-electric propulsion, while larger variants will feature a conventional drivetrain.
“We use the term ‘family’ to point to a key attribute of the design; its ability to be scaled in size from a small Group 3 UAS to the footprint equivalent of a Black Hawk helicopter,” said Rich Benton, Sikorsky vice president and general manager. “The resulting Nomad family of drones will be adaptable, go-anywhere, runway independent aircraft capable of land and sea-based missions across defense, national security, forestry and civilian organizations. Nomads are a force multiplier, complementing the missions of aircraft such as the Black Hawk to retain the strategic advantage in the Indo-Pacific and across broader regions.”
Sikorsky announced in March 2025 the successful extended flight test of its 10.3-ft wingspan prototype Nomad 50 aircraft. Today, Sikorsky is building its Nomad 100 aircraft. This is a Group 3, 18-ft wingspan variant with first flight expected in the coming months.
Nomad VTOL UAS
- Nomad UAS are designed for reconnaissance, light attack, contested logistics and more.
- The Nomad family can be scaled from a Group 3 UAS (56 pounds to 1,320 pounds) to Group 4/5 (1,320 pounds and up). The Nomad family is powered by fuel-efficient hybrid-electric drivetrains, with larger variants featuring a conventional drivetrain.
- MATRIX technology, developed by Sikorsky Innovations and DARPA, is an open system, which allows seamless integration with rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. MATRIX has already been demonstrated across a range of applications, including aerial firefighting, logistics resupply, and advanced aerial mobility.
“Nomad represents new breakthroughs for Sikorsky and the next generation of autonomous, long-endurance drones,” said Dan Shidler, director of Advanced Programs. “We are acting on feedback from the Pentagon, adopting a rapid approach and creating a family of drones that can take off and land virtually anywhere and execute the mission – all autonomously and in the hands of Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Airmen.”
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