Sikorsky is expanding its Nomad future family of rotor blown wing VTOL aircraft less than a year after proving the flight efficiency and reliability of its design. The Nomad concept combines the vertical lift and hover capability of a helicopter with the range and speed of a fixed-wing aircraft.

Operated using Sikorsky’s MATRIX autonomy system, Nomads primarily feature hybrid-electric propulsion, with larger variants built around a conventional drivetrain. The design is scalable from a Group 3 uncrewed aerial system (UAS) to the footprint of a Black Hawk helicopter.

“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,” says 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.”

The company’s Nomad 50 prototype, featuring a 10.3 ft wingspan, completed extended flight testing in March 2025. Sikorsky is now constructing the Nomad 100, an 18 ft wingspan Group 3 variant expected to complete its first flight in the coming months.

“Nomad represents new breakthroughs for Sikorsky and the next generation of autonomous, long-endurance drones,” says 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.”