US drone maker Skydio is making its flagship military drone, the X10D, even more versatile. The company has released its Interface Control Document (ICD), allowing third-party developers to create new payload attachments for the drone. This means military and defense agencies can now customize Skydio’s drones for even more mission-critical tasks.
The Skydio X10D, which has been in full-scale production since last year, is already a great drone for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions. It is specifically designed for defense and government agencies that operate in high-stakes environments where adaptability is key.
Until now, Skydio has offered a handful of official attachments, including:
- Spotlight: For illuminating dark areas
- Speaker: For broadcasting messages from the drone
- Parachute: For safe emergency landings
- NightSense: The first attachment allowing autonomous flight in zero-light conditions
But with the new Attachment ICD, military users and partners can go beyond these options and develop their own payloads to suit specific missions.
What kind of attachments can Skydio X10D support?
The possibilities are huge. Skydio’s modular design supports attachments that enhance battlefield communication, intelligence gathering, and emergency response. Here are a few examples of what third-party developers could build:
🔹 Payload dropper: For delivering essential supplies in combat zones
🔹 Signal relay devices: Extending communication in remote areas
🔹 Electronic warfare sensors: Detecting jamming and GPS interference
🔹 Chemical detectors: Identifying hazardous materials in the field
🔹 Diversionary devices: Creating strategic distractions
The X10D features four attachment bays, each capable of delivering up to 50 watts of power, ensuring that these devices can operate effectively in the field.
To prove the effectiveness of this modular approach, Skydio partnered with L3Harris Technologies and Elsight to test external payloads on the X10D. The results were impressive.
L3Harris RF-9820S-ER radio: This small but powerful software-defined radio (SDR) was successfully integrated into the X10D in just two days. It enables secure communication even in GPS-denied environments, making the drone highly resistant to signal jamming.
Elsight Halo connectivity: This system enables Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) control, using multiple connection types (cellular, radio, and satellite) to maintain a stable, uninterrupted link. Military operators can now control drones from anywhere in the world, even in areas with minimal infrastructure.
Over the past five years, Skydio has supplied drones to every branch of the US military and 25 allied nations. The company is now doubling down on its mission to provide adaptable, high-performance drone solutions for defense and security operations. “We are committed to serving the needs of the U.S. military and our allies,” says Ryan Reading, Skydio’s vice president of engineering. “With this Attachment ICD, these organizations can now adapt the Skydio X10D to the specific requirements of their mission.”
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