California drone developer Skydio has entered the final phase of the US Army’s program to replace the RQ-28A vertical takeoff and landing quadcopters.
Signed in 2021, the Short Range Reconnaissance Tranche 2 initiative developed Skydio’s X10-D small unmanned aerial system incorporating FLIR’s Boson thermal camera device for enhanced quality imaging and accurate radiometric readings in day or night scenarios.
The X10-D is built according to federal standards, including the Robotics and Autonomous Systems – Air Interoperability Profile and an open architecture protocol for future compatibility with third-party and state-owned flight application software.
Pushing Boundaries
“As the largest manufacturer of small drones in the United States, we are proud to further our work with the US Army,” Skydio Global Development President Mark Valentine stated.
“Many US government agencies and international allies have already ordered the X10D and we look forward to delivering the X10D to our service members.”
“Skydio is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what drone technology can do to protect soldiers, increase mission effectiveness, and ultimately aid in stronger security and greater prosperity around the world.”
Skydio is working with other US Department of Defense frameworks to employ its autonomous systems in the military alongside the drone replacement effort.
Before the Short Range Reconnaissance’s final phase, the company established a National Defense Authorization Act-compliant manufacturing site to secure “trustworthy sourcing” of large-scale autonomy system productions.
Simultaneously, Skydio supported a maiden test on an artificial intelligence platform that enables a single operator to manage drone swarms at the same time.
Latest International Projects
Skydio partnered with Australian company EPE last month to deliver microdrones for the New Zealand armed forces.
In August, the company and the US Agency for International Development announced the delivery of nine aerial drones to assist Ukraine in documenting war crimes amid its conflict with Russia.