Hybrid VTOL Fixed-Wing UAV
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Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, has unveiled its Nomad™ future family of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS).
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, as well as cruise on the wing for extended periods.
Nomads are operated via Sikorsky’s MATRIX autonomy technology and mainly use fuel-efficient hybrid-electric propulsion, while larger variants feature a conventional drivetrain.
These VTOL UAS are designed for diverse applications, including reconnaissance, light attack, and contested logistics. 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 above).
The VTOL UAS family has a scalable design, enabling the Nomad adapted for greater speed, extended range and increased payload capacity across a variety of missions.
MATRIX technology was developed by Sikorsky Innovations and DARPA. It is an open system, which allows seamless integration with rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. MATRIX has been demonstrated across a range of applications, including aerial firefighting, logistics resupply, and advanced aerial mobility.
Sikorsky successfully completed the extended flight test of its 10.3-ft wingspan prototype Nomad 50 aircraft in March 2025. The company is now building its Nomad 100 aircraft, which is a Group 3, 18-ft wingspan variant with first flight expected in the coming months.
Rich Benton, Sikorsky vice president and general manager, stated, “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.
“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.”
Dan Shidler, director of Advanced Programs, added, “Nomad represents new breakthroughs for Sikorsky and the next generation of autonomous, long-endurance drones. 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.”
