Stratford-based Sikorsky is unveiling a new family of autonomous drones that combine attributes of a helicopter and a fixed-wing airplane.
The design, known as Nomad, can take off, hover and land vertically like a helicopter, but also cruise on the wing for extended periods like a conventional airplane.
Sikorsky says the benefits of the combination are flight efficiency and reliability.
Nomads are operated via Sikorsky’s autonomous flight MATRIX technology and predominantly use hybrid-electric propulsion. Sikorsky is owned by Lockheed Martin.
“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,” said Rich Benton, Sikorsky vice president and general manager.
He said this scalability makes the aircraft adaptable, and capable of land and sea-based missions across defense, national security, forestry and civilian organizations.
In March 2025, Sikorsky announced the successful extended flight test of its 10.3-ft wingspan prototype Nomad 50 aircraft. The company said it’s currently building a follow-on Nomad 100 aircraft with an 18-foot wingspan.
“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,” said Dan Shidler, director of advanced programs at Sikorsky.