US Army Awards PDW $20 Million Quadcopter Drone Contract
The US Army has awarded PDW a $20.9-million contract to deliver its C100 quadcopter drones and Multi-Mission Payloads.
This award marks the third contract for PDW’s C100 platform under the service’s Transformation in Contact (TiC) initiative, which is designed to move advanced commercial systems from concept to production quickly through real-world deployment and evaluation.
PDW’s C100 is a small, modular drone designed for reconnaissance and multi-mission support.
The accompanying Multi-Mission Payloads suite includes three specialized payloads that enable operations in GPS-denied environments, extend communications beyond line of sight, and conduct signals intelligence and electronic warfare missions.
“In order to maintain a competitive edge in the current unpredictable state of war, the US must embrace technological advancements as they are introduced to adapt faster than our opponents,” said PDW CEO and co-founder Ryan Gury.
“Right now, the advancement that can truly transform the battlefield is small, multi-mission drones like the C100.”
Supporting Airborne and Special Operations Units
The new batch of C100 systems and payloads will be distributed to units within the 18th Airborne Corps and US Army Special Operations Command.
Under previous TiC contracts, C100 drones were delivered to seven Army Project Manager Unmanned Aircraft Systems (PM UAS) units for testing and operational use.
In December 2024, under a prior $15 million TiC 2.0 award, C100 systems were deployed to units operating across Indo-Pacific Command, European Command, and Central Command, where they were evaluated in a range of missions.
Recent US Army Quadcopter Developments
The army has been steadily advancing its small UAS modernization efforts, with multiple programs aimed at improving reconnaissance and multi-mission drone capabilities for frontline units.
In January 2024, the service launched a replacement program for the Skydio RQ-28A quadcopter, seeking more advanced systems with enhanced autonomy, sensing, and survivability for GPS-denied and contested electronic warfare environments.
By November 2024, the army began fielding Teal quadcopters to replace older reconnaissance systems and provide units with small, easily deployable drones optimized for complex terrain and rapid operations.
Most recently, in May 2025, the army received its first X10D drones, a larger class of unmanned systems intended to bridge the gap between small tactical drones and larger UAVs, offering greater payload capacity and range.
