Building on the successful flight tests of a novel rotor blown wing prototype, Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, has unveiled its Nomad™ future family of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS).
The Nomad design features a unique twin proprotor configuration that merges the hover capability of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing airplane. These runway-independent aircraft can take off and land vertically on land or sea, then cruise efficiently for extended missions. Operated autonomously by Sikorsky’s MATRIX™ technology, the family predominantly uses hybrid-electric propulsion, with larger variants employing conventional drivetrains.
A key innovation is the design’s scalability, allowing Nomad drones to be sized from a Group 3 UAS up to the footprint of a Black Hawk helicopter. This adaptability makes them a force multiplier for defense, national security, and civilian missions, including reconnaissance, light attack, and contested logistics. Following the successful test of the Nomad 50 prototype, Sikorsky is now building the larger Nomad 100 variant, with its first flight expected soon.
