Skydio has confirmed that its X2D UAS (unmanned aerial system) has been selected for the U.S. Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) Program of Record. Managed by the Program Executive Office for Aviation’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (PM UAS) Project Management Office, the SRR program aims to equip soldiers with a rapidly deployable small UAS solution to conduct reconnaissance and surveillance activities.
After evaluating proposals from over 30 small UAS SRR vendors, and rigorous testing of five finalists in partnership with the Defense Innovation Unit, the U.S. Army chose Skydio for final integration based on soldier feedback and design review packages intended to assess the overall product performance, quality, and production readiness.
Skydio X2D is designed for military and defense customers to perform reconnaissance, search and rescue, and security patrol missions. Skydio X2D pairs Skydio Autonomy, an AI-driven flight autonomy software, with a foldable, highly portable airframe that leverages hyper-strength composites to withstand highly demanding environments. X2D features dual color optical thermal sensors, and is equipped with GPS-based night flight and strobe lighting, making it ready for both day and night operations, while providing up to 35 min of flight time on a single battery. Designed, assembled, and supported in the USA, X2D complies with the NDAA’s rigorous supply chain security requirements and offers enhanced cybersecurity protection.
Adam Bry, CEO of Skydio, commented: “This is an exciting milestone for Skydio, the Army, and most importantly the men and women who serve our country. For drones under 20 pounds, civilian drone technology has raced ahead of traditional defense systems. With the SRR program, our Soldiers will now have access to the most advanced capabilities in the world in this class. Skydio drones deliver unparalleled situational awareness and ease of use in the most demanding situations thanks to Skydio Autonomy. We are proud to work with the Army and look forward to fielding these units, while continuing to pioneer the capabilities that provide our troops with the real-time data needed to successfully and safely complete their missions.”
Col. Joseph Anderson, Project Manager for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, said: “The selection of the U.S. Army’s short range reconnaissance provider for tranche 1 is a significant milestone for the Army, our strategic partners and the domestic industrial base. The future for our Soldiers is now. The relationships we have formed with industry demonstrate our commitment to compete and our ability to lead and innovate advanced technology in unmanned systems.”
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