Lockheed’s Sikorsky reveals Nomad drones for U.S. Army future combat.

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, unveiled its new Nomad™ family of rotor-blown wing VTOL drones on October 6, 2025. The advanced uncrewed systems are designed for reconnaissance, light strike, and logistics missions in complex battle environments.

STRATFORD, Conn., United States, October 7, 2025 - Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, unveiled its new Nomad™ family of rotor-blown wing VTOL uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) on Monday. The scalable, runway-independent drones are designed for advanced reconnaissance, light strike, and contested logistics missions in multi-domain operations. The announcement marks a major step in Lockheed Martin’s efforts to expand autonomous capabilities across future U.S. military operations.
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Sikorsky’s Nomad is a rotor-blown wing VTOL drone combining helicopter-like vertical lift with fixed-wing speed and endurance, designed for autonomous missions in contested and runway-denied environments. (Picture source: Lockheed Martin)

The Nomad family is built around a twin proprotor configuration combined with a fixed wing, allowing the aircraft to lift vertically like a helicopter and then transition to efficient horizontal flight. This dual-mode capability offers increased range and endurance compared to conventional rotary-wing drones, while eliminating the need for runways or dedicated launch systems. The system architecture is scalable, ranging from compact Group 3-class platforms up to airframes with the footprint and payload capacity of a UH-60 Black Hawk.

The rotor-blown wing concept uses airflow from the rotors directed over the wings to enhance lift during vertical operations, improving hover efficiency and control authority. Once in forward flight, the Nomad transitions to wing-borne lift, dramatically increasing fuel economy and mission endurance. This aerodynamic transition is managed autonomously through Sikorsky’s advanced flight control systems, enabling the aircraft to self-optimize flight profiles across different environments and mission types.

Initial flight testing began in early 2025 with the Nomad 50 prototype, a 10.3-foot wingspan demonstrator that validated vertical takeoff, rotor-wing transition, and stable forward cruise. Sikorsky has now advanced to constructing the Nomad 100, an 18-foot wingspan Group 3 variant expected to fly within months. This aircraft class is optimized for tactical ISR and light payload delivery in highly mobile or austere operations. It features a hybrid-electric propulsion system that enables silent operations in surveillance missions and reduced thermal signatures for survivability in contested zones.

Larger variants of Nomad, classified under Group 4 and 5 UAS categories, are expected to move toward conventional propulsion for heavier payloads and extended operational ranges. These larger aircraft will offer modular internal and external payload bays capable of supporting electro-optical sensors, electronic warfare packages, precision-guided munitions, and networked ISR nodes. Scalable payload interfaces and software-defined mission systems will allow rapid reconfiguration in the field for diverse mission sets, including maritime patrol, forward arming and resupply, and manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) support.

The entire Nomad line 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. MATRIX enables fully autonomous operation in GPS-denied environments and can be integrated with joint command-and-control networks. This allows Nomad to function as a persistent ISR asset, loitering munition carrier, or airborne logistics node, even under electronic warfare or anti-access conditions.

From a combat operations standpoint, Nomad provides a tactical drone platform that can take off and land from confined, unprepared locations, including ship decks, rooftops, and forest clearings. Its low acoustic signature, extended endurance, and ability to fly nap-of-the-earth profiles make it highly suitable for deep reconnaissance or precision strike support. In expeditionary operations, Nomad could enable on-demand resupply to distributed units without the need for exposed convoys or vulnerable supply hubs.

The Nomad platform is also designed with future autonomy and AI integration in mind. The airframe and mission system software are modular, allowing insertion of onboard AI processors for real-time target recognition, terrain mapping, and swarm coordination. In high-threat environments, Nomads could be deployed in formations to conduct synchronized surveillance, deception, or strike missions using autonomous mission logic and real-time data fusion from multiple platforms.

Sikorsky has confirmed that Nomad will be presented at the upcoming AUSA 2025 defense exhibition, with the Nomad 100 displayed as a baseline configuration for tactical deployment. Future variants are expected to evolve toward longer endurance missions, higher payload capacities, and integration with long-range fires and joint all-domain command-and-control (JADC2) systems.

With its unique combination of rotorcraft agility, fixed-wing endurance, and autonomous flight systems, Nomad represents a next-generation VTOL UAS platform purpose-built for 21st-century battlefield demands. Its design reflects a strategic shift toward runway-independent, flexible aerial systems capable of operating deep inside contested zones while supporting joint force maneuver, logistics, and targeting in increasingly complex combat environments.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.