U.S. Army Awards $7.9 Million Contract to Skydio for Short Range Reconnaissance Drones

In a press release, Skydio announced that the U.S. Army has awarded the company a $7.9 million contract for its X10D small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) under the Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) Tranche 2 Low-Rate Initial Production program. The award expands Skydio’s fiscal year 2025 program support to $12.3 million.

The SRR program, managed by the Army’s Program Executive Office Aviation’s Project Manager for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, equips infantry platoons with organic reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities. The new contract continues Skydio’s role as an SRR provider, transitioning soldiers from the earlier X2D/RQ28-A model to the enhanced X10D platform.

The Skydio X10D features a 48-megapixel telephoto camera, a Teledyne FLIR Boson+ thermal sensor, and AI-powered autonomy for navigation and obstacle avoidance. The drone is part of the Department of Defense’s Blue UAS Cleared List and meets Defense Innovation Unit cybersecurity standards. Skydio designs and manufactures its drones in Hayward, California, and supports multiple branches of the U.S. military and allied defense organizations.