Sikorsky has completed initial ground and flight testing of its Nomad 100 vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drone under the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) EVADE program.
Short for Early VTOL Aircraft Demonstration, EVADE aims to accelerate the rollout of tactical unmanned aerial systems (UAS) weighing less than 330 pounds (150 kilograms) and deliver greater range, endurance, and control for warfighters.
Following the milestone, the Nomad 100 will move to a government test facility for further evaluations across multiple operational scenarios.
Blended Airframe
Designed for runway-independent operations, the Nomad 100 combines helicopter-like VTOL with the speed and endurance of a fixed-wing aircraft using Sikorsky’s proprietary rotor-blown wing design.
The UAS can launch in challenging environments and support logistics, scouting, and other tactical missions.
It is powered by Sikorsky’s MATRIX autonomy suite, which DARPA has also selected for integration into all five aircraft participating in the EVADE program.
The autonomy system has logged more than 1,000 flight hours, supported over 500 operational assessments, been used to train more than 100 drone operators, and integrated with over 20 aircraft platforms.
“Nomad 100’s ongoing flight testing reflects our commitment to advancing autonomous technology while delivering safe and reliable mission capabilities,” said Rich Benton, Sikorsky vice president and general manager.
“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.”
