Spain’s Ministry of Defense announced this week that it has chosen the US drone manufacturer Skydio and its X10 drone to supply its military for UAV operations. The value of the contract is €18 million ($18.7 million).
Skydio was selected for a contract to supply autonomous small uncrewed aerial systems for Spain’s Armed Forces. Under partnership with Paukner Group, a Spanish defense and security product distributor, Spain’s military will be equipped with the company’s X10 drone.
Spain will be using the Skydio X10s for various missions such as force protection, reconnaissance, and target acquisition.
“We’re honored to support the Spanish Armed Forces with Skydio’s most advanced drone platform,” Skydio CEO Adam Bry said in a statement. “This win is a reflection of the growing importance of small drones on the modern battlefield.”
Skydio’s X10 is the company’s medium-sized enterprise and public safety-focused drone. Competing against the likes of DJI’s M30 and Autel’s EVO Max, Skydio’s X10 focuses on autonomous flight. This has been the bread and butter of Skydio’s platforms for industry professionals and its now-shut down consumer line of drones.
The X10 provides the option of various payloads to support options for public safety, detailed mapping, and inspections.
Being NDAA compliant and a US company, Skydio has excelled at gaining the trust of US law enforcement agencies and the Department of Defense. Skydio also succeeded in lobbying efforts to reduce its main competitor’s, DJI, ability to compete for government contracts.
Skydio’s drones are being used by every U.S. branch of its armed forces and are also in use in 25 allied nations, now including Spain.
With anti-Chinese regulations becoming the norm and many Western nations looking to distance themselves from the communist country, Skydio is poised to continue its growth in the defense sector.
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