Performance Drone Works (PDW) highlights how it provided direct technical support, operator training, and system integration assistance to U.S. Army Transformation in Contact (TIC) units during large-scale exercises at the National Training Center (NTC).
The deployment aligned with the Army’s Transformation Initiative, which is focused on creating a leaner and more lethal force by adapting how units train, fight, organize, and acquire equipment.
PDW personnel traveled to the Mojave Desert to work alongside multiple TIC units, supporting the integration and employment of the C100 small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) in a realistic and contested training environment. The company’s objective was to assist with technical integration of the C100 system under the demanding conditions imposed by NTC exercises, which are designed to push both Soldiers and technology to operational limits.
For Soldiers operating PDW’s C100 sUAS, the on-site support extended beyond routine training. PDW instructors with detailed system knowledge provided hands-on guidance, allowing operators to refine skills and gain experience flying the system in complex and dynamic scenarios in a realistic and contested training environment.
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.”
Insights gathered from Soldier feedback during the exercise were used to inform engineering and manufacturing teams. This feedback-driven approach supports PDW’s agile operational mindset, with data from the field fed directly to engineering and manufacturing teams.
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.”
In addition to operator-level engagement, PDW met with leadership at Fort Irwin to discuss evolving small UAS mission requirements, emerging operational needs, and how the company can continue to support the Army’s Transformation Initiative moving forward. On-site troubleshooting, mentorship, and technical assistance contributed to increased operator confidence throughout the exercise.
PDW has been awarded three U.S. Army contracts to supply the C100 UAS in support of the TIC initiative. The most recent contract, valued at $20.9 million, covers delivery of the C100 platform along with Multi-Mission Payloads (MMP).
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.”
For more information, visit the Performance Drone Work’s website.
