Performance Drone Works (PDW)

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High-Performance Autonomous Drones for Mission-Critical Civilian & Military Applications United States of America
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Performance Drone Works (PDW)

High-Performance Autonomous Drones for Mission-Critical Civilian & Military Applications

PDW is a leading developer of high-performance autonomous drones for mission-critical civilian and military applications. Designed to excel under even the most demanding of conditions, PDW’s flagship C100 small UAS is a single operator air support system that can navigate, identify, and execute a variety of missions.

C100 Multi-Mission Platform

Long-endurance, packable system for ISR and payload delivery

C100 Heavy Payload Drone
The C100 is a portable, rucksack-packable quadcopter designed for multiple military and public safety operations. Capable of 74 minutes of flight time, this long endurance small UAS has a low audio signature and can be deployed and airborne in under 10 minutes.

Heavy payload drone

Autonomous ISR UAV

The versatile heavy payload drone carries up to 10 lbs and can be equipped with a variety of hot-swappable payloads, including a variety of military-grade EO/IR gimbals, resupply and first aid kits, and munitions.

The C100 is built around a modular open architecture, allowing new hardware and powertrain modifications to be seamlessly integrated. The system incorporates DIU Blue-UAS approved flight avionics, as well as an AES-256 encrypted datalink for reliable and secure communication.

Applications

long endurance UAVISR & Recon
With long endurance and the ability to operate day or night under the harshest of weather conditions, PDW’s C100 is ideal for tactical ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) missions.

Cargo Delivery
Able to carry up to 10 lbs of payload, PDW’s rugged drone platforms can transport vital cargo to hazardous and hard-to-reach places when time is of the essence.

Public Safety
With the C100’s versatility, it’s uniquely suited for law enforcement, SWAT and first responders for emergency operations, providing critical ISR for more effective decision-making.

Products

PDW CORE

Ground control software suite for the C100 multi-mission quadcopter

PDW SIM

Fully modular flight simulation platform engineered for mission-critical UAS operator training

AM-FPV

Agile FPV Drone for Precise Tactical Missions

C100 Heavy-Lift Quadcopter

Foldable long-endurance heavy payload drone

Articles

Latest
PDW Attritable Multirotor Strike Drone Moves Into Production

Performance Drone Works’ attritable multirotor strike drone enters production with modular configurations, scalable manufacturing design, and extended-range capability to support distributed frontline operations in contested environments

Apr 13, 2026
PDW Validates Extended Range & Autonomous Navigation in Texas Flight Trials

Performance Drone Works validates 20km range and GPS-denied autonomous navigation during 114-flight test series

Mar 26, 2026
PDW Introduces CORE 1.4 Software Update for C100 Platform

Performance Drone Works has released CORE 1.4, enhancing the C100 platform with vision-based navigation, improved communications resiliency, precision flight control, and expanded simulation tools for multi-mission operations.

Mar 17, 2026
PDW Provides Training & On-Site Support to Army Transformation in Contact Units

Performance Drone Works highlights how collaboration with Army TIC units at the National Training Center provided hands-on training and gathered real-time feedback in support of ongoing Army transformation efforts

Feb 06, 2026
PDW Receives First U.S. Air Force Contract for C100 Multi-Mission UAS

PDW’s first U.S. Air Force contract for the C100 UAS marks a milestone in the company’s defense expansion, providing modular, multi-mission drone capabilities for diverse Air Force operations

Oct 21, 2025
Q&A: Inside PDW’s C100 Multi-Mission Payload Suite for Contested Battlespaces

Performance Drone Works (PDW) discusses how its C100 Multi-Mission Payload (MMP) suite enhances unmanned operations, ensuring resilience, adaptability, and mission success in contested environments

Oct 13, 2025
US Army Invests in PDW’s Long-Endurance Quadcopters

Performance Drone Works received $20.9 million from the U.S. Army to supply C100 drones with modular payloads, advancing reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and rapid battlefield support under the TiC program.

Sep 26, 2025
PDW Increases UAS Manufacturing with New 90,000 sq. ft. Drone Facility

PDW’s new facility in Huntsville, Alabama, increases production capacity for C100 multi-mission UAS and AM-FPV systems, meeting rising demand from U.S. and allied forces

Aug 29, 2025
PDW UAS Demonstration Showcases Precision Fire Support Capabilities

PDW and the U.S. Department of Defense recently demonstrated organic unmanned aerial system fire support using the PDW C100 and F-35A Lightning II fighter

Aug 05, 2025
UK MOD Validates PDW C100 for Aerial Target Designation

Performance Drone Works (PDW) demonstrated the capabilities of its C100 quadcopter for the UK MOD, successfully designating targets with precision and completing extended-range missions during a live-fire event in Texas

Jul 09, 2025
Next-Gen Tactical sUAS Flight Simulator Launched

To enable the rehearsal of realistic mission scenarios in diverse environments, PDW has launched a flight simulator, setting a new standard for tactical sUAS operator training

Apr 01, 2025
New GCS Software Released for C100 Quadcopter

Performance Drone Works introduces PDW CORE, a comprehensive software bundle enhancing the C100 quadcopter's capabilities with a new UI, flight simulator, mission planner, ATAK integration, and fleet management tools

Jan 29, 2025
Group 2 sUAS Selected for U.S. Army MRR Requirements

PDW’s C100 sUAS has been selected for the U.S. Army Directed Requirement for Company-Level sUAS, enhancing fire and maneuver in near-peer and contested operating environments

Oct 01, 2024
Blackwave Next-Generation UAS Communications Contract Awarded

PDW has been awarded a contract by USSOCOM for the Blackwave resilient digital link that provides critical UAS comms in high-risk, contested and congested environments

Mar 01, 2024
PDW Quadcopter Selected for DIU Blue UAS List

The Blue UAS list is a program developed by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) of the Department of Defense (DoD), designed to rapidly vet and scale commercial UAS technology

Dec 21, 2023
Mesh Rider Radio Integrated into PDW’s Flagship sUAS

Integrating Doodle Labs' datalink into PDW’s C100 sUAS will enable advanced operations within electronic warfare-contested environments

May 12, 2023
Autonomous Foldable, FPV & Heavy-Lift Drones for ISR & Delivery

Performance Drone Works' UAS solutions provide enhanced efficiency and reduced risk for operators working in highly challenging environments

Jan 11, 2023
Regional Offices & Locations
Performance Drone Works LLC United States of America 3414 Governors Drive, Suite 350 Huntsville, AL 35805 Contact Website
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