Hanneke Weitering is a writer and editor with AIN covering advanced air mobility and new flight technologies. She became an aviation journalist and joined the AIN team in the summer of 2022 after reporting on spaceflight and astronomy for six years at Space.com. After earning a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, she moved to New York City to pursue a master’s degree in science, health, and environmental reporting at New York University&#039;s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. She is now based in Seattle near Boeing Field and spends her free time exploring nature in the Pacific Northwest.

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Hanneke Weitering

Sikorsky expects to begin flight-testing three experimental aircraft programs this year as the Lockheed Martin company advances its autonomy and hybrid-electric propulsion technologies.
Company executives told reporters in pre-Verticon briefings that the Nomad 100 VTOL drone, the U-Hawk autonomous Black Hawk derivative, and the hybrid-electric experimental (HEX) tilt-wing VTOL technology demonstrator are all progressing toward first flights in 2026.
The three programs reflect Sikorsky’s broader push to develop uncrewed systems, electrified propulsion, and new manufacturing approaches that could shape the next generation of vertical-lift aircraft.
Sikorsky’s <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2025-10-09/sikorsky-unveils-nomad-family-autonomous-drones">Nomad family</a> of uncrewed aircraft systems is derived from the company’s “rotor-blown wing” tail-sitter concept. The company flew a smaller demonstrator, the Nomad 50, last year. The new Nomad 100 model features an approximately 18-foot wingspan and a hybrid-electric propulsion system.
Sikorsky envisions Nomad as a scalable VTOL platform for both military and civil missions. Potential roles include intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; logistics resupply; disaster response; and wildfire monitoring. The company intends to scale the design for a broader family of aircraft with increasing payload capacity.
Nomad aircraft use Sikorsky’s Matrix autonomy system, a flight control and mission management architecture that the company has been developing for more than a decade. The software stack has been integrated across more than 20 platforms and accumulated more than 1,000 flight hours, according to Sikorsky.
Matrix autonomy also underpins the U-Hawk program, which is converting legacy UH-60L Black Hawks into fully autonomous cargo aircraft. The U-Hawk replaces the cockpit with cargo space and adds new clamshell doors. Sikorsky <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2025-10-13/sikorsky-unveils-uncrewed-black-hawk-variant">unveiled the U-Hawk concept</a> last year and is now completing development of the first aircraft. Executives said U-Hawk could support a variety of missions, including autonomous logistics resupply, disaster relief operations, and battlefield support roles.&nbsp;
HEX, the third program approaching its first flight, is part of Sikorsky’s broader effort to explore electrified propulsion architectures for future vertical-lift aircraft. The initial aircraft is a tube-frame vehicle designed primarily to validate the hybrid drivetrain, which produces roughly 1.2 megawatts of power.
The HEX demonstrator is currently undergoing ground runs ahead of its first flight. Sikorsky plans to follow it with two additional test aircraft that will incorporate composite fuselages and wings and will be used to explore the full flight envelope, including wing-borne flight and transition between hover and forward flight.
Beyond validating hybrid propulsion, the program is also testing new manufacturing methods and materials. Sikorsky engineers said the company is increasingly using additive manufacturing and other advanced processes to produce structural components, including gears and other drivetrain parts that traditionally required castings or forgings.
Company officials said these approaches could eventually support faster aircraft development cycles than those typical of traditional rotorcraft programs, which often remain in production for decades with incremental upgrades.
While Sikorsky continues to develop these technology demonstrators, the company is also investing in its existing product lines. Production of the latest heavy-lift variant, the S-92A+, is now underway, with the company targeting a production capacity of up to 12 aircraft per year. Standard delivery lead times remain about 36 months after order, although Sikorsky said it is building some aircraft on speculation to shorten delivery timelines for future customers.
At the same time, Sikorsky confirmed it is studying future vertical-lift platforms beyond its current lineup. Executives said the company is evaluating potential next-generation aircraft concepts, including tilt-wing or advanced rotorcraft designs that could incorporate hybrid propulsion and other emerging technologies.

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Three Sikorsky Demonstrators Target First Flights in 2026

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The Nomad 100 VTOL drone, the U-Hawk autonomous Black Hawk derivative, and the HEX tilt-wing VTOL tech demonstrator are progressing toward first flight in 2026.

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