Skydio Enters Final Phase of US Army's Short Range Reconnaissance Tranche 2 Program

January 11, 2024

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Skydio, the leading U.S. drone manufacturer and world leader in autonomous flight technology, today announced it has entered into the final phase of the U.S. Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) tranche 2 program, where it intends to deliver the powerful Skydio X10D small UAS (sUAS), the next generation of autonomous drone technology.

Skydio remains the solution provider of record for the U.S. Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance program, which it won in November 2021. With Skydio X2D, U.S. soldiers today are equipped with a U.S.-manufactured, high-performance sUAS to meet their mission needs, increasing situational awareness, safety, and security across multiple defense applications.

“As the largest manufacturer of small drones in the United States, we are proud to further our work with the U.S. Army. Many US government agencies and international allies have already ordered the X10D and we look forward to delivering Skydio X10D to our service members,” said Mark Valentine, President of Global Government at Skydio. “Skydio is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what military drone technology can do to protect soldiers, increase mission effectiveness, and ultimately aid in stronger security and greater prosperity around the world.”

Skydio recently debuted its new enterprise drone, Skydio X10, and Skydio X10D, its new drone for defense and government applications. Skydio X10 combines new, cutting-edge data capture cameras, unparalleled autonomy, and versatile hardware to serve a range of industries, including defense, public safety, and utilities. Skydio X10D meets and exceeds SRR specifications for tactical performance and was specifically designed to create tactical advantages for soldiers at any time of day or night by combining maneuverability with best-in-class sensors. Skydio X10D is the first sUAS to enable worry-free 24/7 operations, with the revolutionary NightSense, which enables autonomous, obstacle-avoidance flight in zero-light environments. It is the first small UAS ever to integrate a FLIR Boson+ sensor, achieving the category’s highest thermal imaging quality and more accurate radiometric readings in any location to improve mission success at any time day or night.

Because technology integration is paramount to SRR goals, Skydio X10D delivers enhanced compliance with federal standards, including the Robotics and Autonomous Systems – Air (RAS-A) Interoperability Profile (IoP), and an open, modular platform that supports third-party applications. RAS-A compliance and open MAVLINK protocol enable the use of third-party and government-owned flight application software. Modular ports allow operators to quickly swap attachments in the field for maximum in-field versatility.

The SRR program is designed to equip soldiers with a rapidly deployable small UAS solution to conduct reconnaissance and surveillance (R&S) activities. The Army is executing multiple tranches for its SRR platforms to advance sUAS technology developments and increase overall performance.

In addition to the SRR program with the U.S. Army, Skydio is proud to support every branch of the U.S. military with sUAS systems. Skydio has worked closely with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to make the acquisition of autonomous drones as simple as possible for the DoD, and has established a National Defense Authorization Act-compliant supply chain to ensure trustworthy sourcing for production at scale. Skydio recently hosted Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks and DIU Director Doug Beck at its San Mateo, California headquarters where, in addition to visiting Skydio’s manufacturing facility, DIU’s Artificial Intelligence for Small Unit Maneuver (AISUM) system was demonstrated. AISUM’s autonomous technology enables a single operator to simultaneously manage a heterogeneous group of drones.

Source : Skydio