Lockheed Martin Sikorsky introduces the Nomad family of long-endurance, runway-independent Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) drones.
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Press Release, Stratford CN, 06 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 defence, national security, forestry and civilian organisations. 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 10.3ft wingspan prototype Nomad 50 aircraft. Today, Sikorsky is building its Nomad 100 aircraft. This is a Group 3, 18ft 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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