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by DRONELIFE Staff Author Ian J. McNabb
US-based drone manufacturer Skydio recently announced that it has entered the ultimate phase of the US Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) tranche 2 program with its autonomous Skydio XD10 small UAS. Skydio is already the producer of record for the Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance Program, which it won in November 2021 with its X2D model UAV.
“As the most important manufacturer of small drones in america, we’re proud to further our work with the U.S. Army. Many US government agencies and international allies have already ordered the X10D and we sit up for delivering the X10D to our service members,” said Mark Valentine, President of Global Government at Skydio. “Skydio is devoted to pushing the boundaries of what drone technology can do to guard soldiers, increase mission effectiveness, and ultimately aid in stronger security and greater prosperity all over the world.”
The Skydio X10 enterprise drone, together with the X10D military/government variant, combines industry-leading sensor packages with autonomous functionality to satisfy a wide selection of possible uses, including defense, public safety, and utilities. The X10D is advertised as exceeding all current SRR standards and features technology designed to assist in 24/7 autonomous use, including NightSense, an obstacle avoidance system designed to operate in complete darkness.
The X10D can be designed for enhanced compliance to federal standards, including 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 usage of third-party and government-owned flight application software.
The SRR program is designed to place small drones within the hands of frontline troops for reconnaisance and surveillance (R&S) activities, and currently includes multiple tranches to advance the technology and increase overall performance. Skydio has an in depth history of supporting the US military with UAV solutions, including collaborative efforts on autonomous UAV systems with the DOD’s Defense Innovation Unit.
More information on Skydio’s products, including the X10D, is out there here.
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