Two Commercial Drones Selected For Use by U.S. Army

Two American firms — Anduril and Performance Drone Works — have won a $14 million contract to supply their Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) drones to the U.S. Army for use on the battlefield.

The Ghost-X Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) produced by Anduril Industries and the C-100 made by Performance Drone Works (PDW) have been deemed suitable for the force's Company-Level Small Uncrewed Aircraft System Directed Requirement (SUASDR), as per a recent DVIDS news release.

PDW has a rich heritage in drone racing. According to its company website it "integrates advanced ISR and autonomous capabilities and develops vehicles, payloads, radios, and AI software to offer unmatched UAS solutions for U.S. military and public safety agencies."

A statement from PDW posted on social media platform X said the firm was "thrilled" to have been selected. It stated: "The C100 meets the Army’s medium-range reconnaissance requirement for a modular, Soldier-portable VTOL sUAS capable of providing effects across reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, communications relay, and electronic warfare.

"This award highlights PDW’s leadership in American drone technology, from our roots in high-performance racing drones to today’s advanced UAS supporting America’s warfighters."

According to the firm's website, Anduril's Ghost-X drone has a range of more than 15 miles and can carry a 9kg payload. It states: "A single Ghost-X can host multiple payloads and sensor types for enhanced situational awareness and mission flexibility."

The UAS can be carried by a single soldier in a slim rifle case or tactical soft case. Putting it together and getting it flight-ready is a two-minute job that requires no tools. The company describes the drone as "a modular, expeditionary, and extended-range UAS that deploys actionable and intuitive autonomy to enable ISR, targeting, and force protection missions with minimal cognitive load & training."

The U.S. Army's SUASDR "Tranche 1" indefinite supply deal comes under the auspices of its Defense Logistics Agency 10-year Tailored Logistics Support contract. The news release stated the deal would afford U.S. soldiers the ability "to conduct multiple tasks with rapidly reconfigurable, attritable, modular payload capabilities to execute reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition missions" and would help them learn exactly what capabilities were needed from future drones.

General James Rainey, Commanding General U.S. Army Futures Command explained the SUASDR had come about as a direct result of lessons learned from the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.

General Randy George, U.S. Army Chief of Staff, commented: "Transforming in contact is the way our Army can adapt its formations and get new technology in the hands of soldiers to experiment, innovate, learn, and change at the pace required."

Douglas Bush, the Army’s Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, added: "This shows the acquisition system can move at the pace needed to support the Army, especially in rapidly emerging technology areas like small uncrewed aircraft systems."

• You can read more about the SUASDR programme on the DVIDS website