American aircraft manufacturer unveils new drone for battlefield operations

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, officially unveiled its next-generation uncrewed aerial system (UAS), the Nomad family, on October 6, marking a significant advancement in autonomous vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities designed for multi-domain military operations.

According to Army Recognition, the Nomad is a rotor-blown wing VTOL drone that merges the vertical lift of a helicopter with the speed and endurance of a fixed-wing aircraft. The platform is engineered for a range of mission profiles including advanced reconnaissance, light strike, and contested logistics, all while operating independently of runways or fixed launch infrastructure.

The Nomad utilizes a twin proprotor configuration combined with a fixed wing, allowing it to vertically lift off like a helicopter and seamlessly transition into efficient horizontal flight. This unique dual-mode system dramatically improves range and endurance compared to conventional rotary-wing drones.

The rotor-blown wing design is central to the Nomad’s lift capabilities. Airflow from the rotors is directed over the wings during vertical flight, enhancing hover efficiency and control authority. During forward flight, the aircraft transitions to wing-borne lift, optimizing fuel economy and mission endurance.

This aerodynamic transition is managed autonomously using Sikorsky’s advanced flight control software, which enables self-optimization of flight profiles across diverse environments. The entire Nomad family is powered by Sikorsky’s MATRIX™ autonomy architecture, an open-architecture flight control system capable of executing complex flight profiles, obstacle avoidance, multi-vehicle coordination, and real-time mission replanning.

Initial flight testing began in early 2025 with the Nomad 50 prototype — a 10.3-foot wingspan demonstrator that successfully validated vertical takeoff, rotor-to-wing transition, and forward cruise flight. Building on this success, Sikorsky is now assembling the Nomad 100, featuring an 18-foot wingspan and classified as a Group 3 UAS. This variant is expected to conduct its first flight in the coming months.

Designed for tactical ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) and light logistics in austere or mobile environments, the Nomad 100 is equipped with a hybrid-electric propulsion system to enable silent operations, low thermal signatures, and high survivability in contested environments.

Larger variants, including Group 4 and Group 5-class airframes, are in development and will shift toward conventional propulsion to accommodate heavier payloads and extended ranges. These larger drones will feature modular payload bays for electro-optical sensors, electronic warfare systems, precision munitions, and networked ISR nodes, enabling rapid mission reconfiguration.

From a tactical operations perspective, Nomad is built to operate in runway-denied or confined areas, such as ship decks, forest clearings, or urban rooftops. With its low acoustic signature, nap-of-the-earth flying, and long endurance, it can provide deep reconnaissance, precision strike support, or on-demand resupply for distributed units, even under electronic warfare or anti-access conditions.

Looking toward the future, Nomad’s airframe and onboard systems are designed to support AI and autonomy integration, allowing for capabilities such as real-time target recognition, terrain mapping, and synchronized swarm coordination. In high-threat scenarios, multiple Nomads could be deployed as a coordinated autonomous force to carry out surveillance, deception, or strike operations with real-time data fusion across platforms.

Sikorsky has confirmed that the Nomad 100 will be on display at the AUSA 2025 defense exhibition, showcased as the baseline model for tactical deployment. Future variants are expected to evolve with greater endurance, higher payloads, and full integration with JADC2 (Joint All-Domain Command and Control) systems.

With Nomad, Sikorsky aims to redefine the battlefield role of drones, merging rotorcraft agility, fixed-wing endurance, and advanced autonomy to meet the demands of 21st-century warfare. The platform represents a strategic shift toward runway-independent, modular aerial systems built to operate deep inside contested zones in support of joint force operations.

By Sabina Mammadli