The testing was carried out in collaboration with DARPA’s EVADE program. Sikorsky will now move Nomad 100 into a more intensive flight test campaign at a government facility, where the aircraft will replicate a range of multirole missions.
“Nomad 100’s ongoing flight testing reflects our commitment to advancing autonomous technology while delivering safe and reliable mission capabilities that equip customers to fill critical operational gaps,” said Rich Benton, vice president and general manager, Sikorsky. “Nomad will serve as part of a crewed-uncrewed team complementing missions anywhere from austere forward operating bases to ship decks and unimproved landing zones.”
Nomad 100 is based on Sikorsky’s rotor blown wing architecture. The design combines helicopter-like vertical lift and hover with the speed, range and endurance of a fixed-wing aircraft.
The aircraft uses a twin prop-rotor system for vertical takeoff and landing, hover, wingborne cruise and runway-independent operations. Sikorsky said the system is designed for all-weather use across land and sea.
The platform is intended to operate as part of mixed teams of crewed and uncrewed aircraft. Lockheed Martin said this supports its wider focus on next-generation autonomy and crewed-uncrewed teaming for tactical operators.
Nomad also marks Sikorsky’s entry into the UAS market. The company said the aircraft combines its rotorcraft and autonomy experience with artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and electric propulsion.
DARPA has selected Sikorsky’s MATRIX autonomous technology for all five platforms operating under the EVADE program. MATRIX also supports Sikorsky’s S-70UAS U-Hawk and hybrid electric demonstrator platforms.
Sikorsky said MATRIX has logged more than 1,000 flight hours and more than 500 successful tests and demonstrations. The technology has trained more than 100 operators from the Department of War and firefighting communities and has been integrated on more than 20 platforms.
Lockheed Martin said its autonomy work is moving beyond basic self-flying or self-driving functions. The company said the focus is on operator-commanded systems able to plan, execute and adapt complex operations in dynamic environments.
