Drone manufacturer and automated flight specialist Skydio says it has won a contract to supply its X2D UAVs to the US Army’s Short-Range Reconnaissance Program (SRR). Valued at $20.2 million annually, the fixed-price provisionment agreement is expected to be worth $99.8 million over its five-year duration.
Beyond its obvious business benefits, the agreement with the US Army adds additional luster to the reputation of Skydio’s drones in at least a couple other ways. It marks a considerable vote of confidence in the company’s tech – particularly the facility and reliability of use, and automated flight capacities – from the Program Executive Office for Aviation’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Project Management Office that manages the SRR.
The fact that the final decision looked closely at feedback from soldiers themselves on overall product performance and quality, meanwhile, is an indicator that the company’s UAVs impressed people from the boots on…
