Performance Drone Works (PDW) discusses how it supported U.S. Army Transformation in Contact (TIC) units at the National Training Center (NTC) by providing hands-on training and collecting real-time feedback from multiple TIC units in the Mojave Desert.
The Transformation Initiative calls for a leaner and more lethal force by adapting how forces fight, train, organize, and acquire equipment.
The mission was to support the technical integration and employment of the C100 small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) in a realistic and contested operating environment. Large-scale exercises at the NTC are designed to push both units and technology to their limits, and PDW’s presence reflected its focus on preparing operators and systems for battlefield conditions.
For Soldiers flying PDW’s C100 sUAS, the training provided an opportunity to refine their skills under the guidance of PDW instructors with deep technical knowledge of the system.
Ryan Gury, Co-Founder and PDW, commented, “Through PDW’s support of the Army’s TIC initiative and partnership Program Management Office Small UAS (PM SUAS), we’re not just supporting the warfighter, we’re iterating alongside them. We put a high value on seeing how our systems perform under pressure because we can feed that data right back to our engineering and manufacturing teams.”
This cycle of feedback and rapid iteration differentiates PDW’s approach, with improvements informed directly by Soldier experience.
Gury continued, “While the Soldiers sharpen their skills for upcoming deployments at NTC, PDW is doing the same in Huntsville: strengthening our systems and support to ensure that warfighters are equipped with reliable and effective capabilities.”
During the visit, PDW provided on-the-spot support, troubleshooting, and mentorship, increasing Soldiers’ confidence and skills to operate in a complex and dynamic environment. PDW also engaged with leaders at Fort Irwin to discuss evolving sUAS requirements, mission sets, and how the company can support the Army through the Transformation Initiative.
Gury concluded, “PDW’s commitment doesn’t stop at delivery of our systems. It continues onto the training field and into theatre, right alongside the Soldiers who depend on them.”
PDW has received three U.S. Army contracts to supply C100 systems in support of the TIC initiative, including a most recent $20.9 million award for the C100 and Multi-Mission Payloads.
