Sikorsky Nomad 100 Advances DARPA EVADE Program with Successful Flight Testing

Sikorsky has completed initial ground and flight testing of the Sikorsky Nomad 100 DARPA EVADE uncrewed aerial system as part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Early VTOL Aircraft Demonstration (EVADE) program. The milestone advances development of autonomous aircraft designed to support military operations in contested environments.

Following the initial testing phase, Sikorsky plans to begin a more extensive flight test campaign at a government facility.

Sikorsky Nomad 100 DARPA EVADE Reaches Flight Test Milestone

According to Sikorsky, the initial testing phase marks another step toward delivering autonomous systems for military operators.

The company said the Nomad 100 is intended to support crewed-uncrewed teaming while providing operational capabilities in challenging environments.

“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.”

Sikorsky said the next phase of testing will replicate multiple operational mission scenarios.

Nomad 100 Combines VTOL and Fixed-Wing Performance

The Nomad 100 is based on Sikorsky’s rotor blown wing architecture, combining vertical lift with fixed-wing flight characteristics.

According to the company, the aircraft features:

• Vertical takeoff and landing capability
• Hover capability
• Wing-borne cruise flight
• Runway-independent operations
• Operations over land and sea
• All-weather capability

Sikorsky said the aircraft is designed to operate as part of a team of crewed and uncrewed platforms supporting a range of mission requirements.

DARPA EVADE Uses MATRIX Autonomous Technology

The Sikorsky Nomad 100 DARPA EVADE program incorporates Sikorsky’s MATRIX autonomous technology.

According to the company, DARPA selected MATRIX as the autonomy solution for all five aircraft platforms participating in the EVADE program.

Sikorsky stated that its other fully autonomous platforms using MATRIX include:

• S-70UAS U-Hawk
• Hybrid Electric Demonstrator (HEX)

The company said MATRIX has accumulated:

• More than 1,000 flight hours
• More than 500 successful tests and demonstrations
• More than 100 trained operators from Department of War and firefighting communities
• Integration across more than 20 aircraft platforms

Autonomous UAS Designed for Future Missions

Sikorsky said the Nomad 100 represents the company’s entry into the uncrewed aircraft systems market by combining its rotorcraft and autonomy experience with:

• Artificial intelligence
• Advanced manufacturing
• Electric propulsion

According to the company, the platform is intended to provide a scalable vertical takeoff and landing aircraft capable of supporting future uncrewed operations.

The completion of initial testing advances the Sikorsky Nomad 100 DARPA EVADE program as the aircraft prepares for expanded flight evaluations supporting future autonomous and crewed-uncrewed teaming missions.

Source: Press release from Lockheed Martin