The U.S. Army has awarded Skyfront a contract to field its Perimeter 8 long-endurance hybrid-electric drone alongside Army units, integrate the aircraft into tactical networks, and provide comprehensive operator training and field sustainment.
Under the terms of the agreement, the platform will be integrated directly with armored combat vehicles and existing command-and-control architectures. The contract focuses on training both operators and instructors to ensure ongoing mission readiness, alongside providing field support. Details regarding the contract’s financial value, specific term, and procurement vehicle have not been publicly disclosed.
Troy Mestler, CEO of Skyfront, commented, “The contract validates that the Perimeter 8 can be operated from inside armored vehicles, plugged into the Army’s existing networks, and used as both a surveillance asset and a communications relay.”
The initial phase of the contract was executed during a three-week deployment in Colorado. Skyfront collaborated with partner AeroIntel Systems, a Colorado-based drone service and training provider, to complete the initial integration and training activities. During the deployment, the joint team integrated the Perimeter 8 into armored combat vehicles and the Army’s command-and-control infrastructure. They also delivered a comprehensive train-the-trainer program for Army instructors and supported soldiers conducting long-range, beyond-visual-line-of-sight surveillance missions throughout the night.
Technical integration involved a layered tactical communications stack designed to support tactical networking and imagery distribution. The setup utilized Silvus Technologies MANET radios and Persistent Systems Wave Relay for mesh networking, alongside Starlink for over-the-horizon satellite communications backhaul. This configuration enabled uninterrupted live imagery from a Trillium Engineering electro-optical and infrared gimbal to stream from the aircraft, through the vehicle, and out to the broader force.
In addition to its primary intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance role, the Perimeter 8 also functioned as an airborne communications relay. The drone carried multiple radios across different frequency bands aloft, extending the operational reach of friendly networks and bridging communications for units operating in complex terrain.
By the conclusion of the deployment, soldiers successfully operated the drone out to a 10-mile beyond-visual-line-of-sight range to provide persistent overwatch for maneuvering ground forces.
