Lockheed Martin Sikorsky introduces Nomad family of long-endurance UASs

Stratford, Connecticut-based Lockheed Martin Sikorsky has unveiled its Nomad future family of autonomous Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UASs). The Nomad UAS is designed for reconnaissance, light attack, contested logistics and other missions, says Lockheed Martin Sikorsky.

Less than a year ago Sikorsky demonstrated the flight efficiency and reliability of its novel rotor-blown wing Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) capability. The company announced in March 2025 the successful extended flight test of its 10.3-ft wingspan prototype Nomad 50 aircraft. Today, says Sikorsky, it is building its Nomad 100 aircraft. This is a Group 3, 18-ft wingspan variant with first flight expected in the coming months.

The twin proprotor design combines the versatility of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft, the company says. A Nomad can take off, hover, and land vertically, and cruise on the wing for extended periods. Nomads are operated via Sikorsky’s MATRIX™ autonomy technology and predominantly use fuel-efficient hybrid-electric propulsion, while larger variants will feature a conventional drivetrain.

The MATRIX autonomy system was demonstrated more than a year ago when it controlled a Blackhawk helicopter in flight. MATRIX, developed by Sikorsky Innovations and the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), is an open system, which allows seamless integration with rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, the company says. MATRIX has already been demonstrated across a range of applications, including aerial firefighting, logistics resupply, and advanced aerial mobility.

“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.”

The Nomad family can be scaled from a Group 3 UAS (25kg to 600kg) to Group 4/5 (600kg and up).

“Nomad represents new breakthroughs for Sikorsky and the next generation of autonomous, long-endurance drones,” said Dan Shidler, Lockheed Martin Sikorsky’s 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.”