Nomad can be scaled in size: from small UAS with a maximum weight of about 600 kg, up to dimensions comparable to those of a Black Hawk helicopter

Less than a year after demonstrating the effectiveness of its prototype, Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, has unveiled its new family of long-range, runway-independent Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS): the Nomad drones.

These new aerial systems, a statement reports it in these hours, are characterized by an innovative tilting twin proprotor design (twin proprotor), which combines the agility of a helicopter with the speed and endurance of a fixed‑wing aircraft. The Nomads would be capable of vertical takeoff, hovering and landing, then transitioning to winged flight to cover long distances.

The key to the project's versatility would lie in its ability to be scaled in size: from small Group 3 UAS (with a maximum weight of about 600 kg) up to footprints comparable to a Black Hawk helicopter. This adaptability would make the Nomads suitable for land and maritime missions for defense, national security and civil organizations, including forestry. Propulsion would be predominantly hybrid‑electric for the smaller variants, while the larger, conventional variants would adopt a traditional mechanical transmission. All aircraft in the family are operated using Sikorsky's MATRIX autonomy technology, an open system developed in collaboration with DARPA and already tested in applications such as aerial firefighting and logistics.

The introduction of the Nomad family follows the success of the Nomad 50 prototype with a 3.1‑meter wingspan, whose extended flight test was announced in March 2025. Sikorsky is currently building the Nomad 100 model, a Group 3 variant with a 5.5‑meter wingspan, whose first flight is expected in the coming months.

According to Rich Benton, vice-president and general manager of Sikorsky, the Nomads are configured as a "force multiplier", complementing missions of existing aircraft and reinforcing strategic advantage in key regions such as the Indo‑Pacific. The project, which would respond directly to Pentagon feedback, focuses on tasks such as reconnaissance, light attack and logistics in contested environments.

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