US Air Force orders C100 drones to fill capability gap
October 9, 2025
The US Air Force has quietly joined the drone warfare revolution, placing its first known order for the C100 quadcopter drone, a nimble, modular platform already in frontline use with the Army.
The move marks a significant shift in the Air Force’s approach to tactical uncrewed systems, as it races to close capability gaps exposed by the rapid evolution of drone warfare in Ukraine and beyond. Developed by US defence tech firm PDW, the C100 is designed for ISR, EW, and kinetic missions, and is being touted as a versatile, American-made answer to the proliferation of Chinese-sourced FPV drones on global battlefields.
US Air Force orders C100 drones
US defence contractor, PDW, has received its first contract award with the United States Air Force for its C100 heavy-lift quadcopter drone. The number ordered and the value of the contract are unknown.
The development is significant as previously it was the US Army placing orders for the small drone; now the Air Force is also ordering them. PDW has supplied drones for the Army’s Medium Range Reconnaissance (MRR) and Transformation in Contact Initiative.
The contract was awarded by the USAF’s 93rd Air Ground Operations Wing based at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia.
Increased lethality. Enhanced awareness. Streamlined operations. @1stArmoredDiv demonstrates how the #C100 helps operators stay ahead of emerging threats. https://t.co/mzitDnQkIX
— PDW (@PDW_ai) October 1, 2025
The CEO and co-founder of PDW, Ryan Gury, stated the Air Force is seeking to fill a “critical gap in rapidly deployable, multi-mission aerial platform.” He added that the C100 is a perfect match for its needs and that its modular payload is able to fill a range of mission profiles.
C100: PDW’s flagship Group 2 UAS
The quadcopter C100 would not look out of place on the battlefields over Ukraine. It is able to fly for 74 minutes with a maximum speed of 40 mph. It comes with an operational range of 10+ kilometres.
According to PDW, it is able to fill ISR, electronic warfare, and kinetic missions and is able to carry payloads of up to 10 pounds. It is unclear what role the Air Force has for the C100 drones.
Forbes suggested they could be used with Air Force personnel embedded in the Army combat units, helping to coordinate support from the Air Force. Drones are filling a large number of roles, from patrolling points of interest to flying tactical missions on the front. An Air Force F-35A recently completed a test using a C100 to laser guide its bombs onto the target. The test was the first of its kind.
PDW is proud to equip the Army at the speed of modern warfare. The @USArmy awarded PDW a $20.9 million award to supply #C100 UAS and Multi-Mission Payloads (MMP) in support of the Army's ‘Transformation in Contact’ (TiC) initiative. Read more: https://t.co/TxhbgVeoio pic.twitter.com/BC9OWu6ekt
— PDW (@PDW_ai) September 17, 2025
In September 2025, PDW received a $20.9 million contract from the US Army to supply an unspecified number of C100 UAS and payloads.
The China issue with small drones
The use of small drones on the battlefield pre-dates the war in Ukraine. The US experimented with dropping munitions from FPV drones before 2022, and ISIS operatives in Syria used them to drop munitions in 2017.
Larger combat drones (like Bayarkar TB2-style drones) proved decisive in conflicts like Turkey’s Operation Euphrates Shield in Syria (2016), the Nagorno-Karabakh War (2020), and Ethiopia’s Tigray War (2020-2022).
But it was the war in Ukraine that has rapidly scaled up and matured the use of small drones on the battlefield. As they have proliferated, so too have anti-drone countermeasures.
Militaries around the world are racing to brace for the new reality that FPV-style drones have an important role in future conflicts.
Much of the advantage of small drones is that they are cheap and they can be numerous. But a key issue is China as China dominates over 90% of the world’s FPV drone production.
"Legacy U.S. primes cannot win today's wars… We leverage commercial technologies to develop and mass manufacture combat systems for tomorrow's warfighters."
— PDW (@PDW_ai) September 15, 2025
PDW CEO & Cofounder @rgury discussed Drone Factory 01 and beyond with @StraightArrow__ News' Weapons & Warfare. Watch… pic.twitter.com/H1ZlFjuJA7
The United States is focusing on producing its own drones for its military, although this comes at the expense of some of the cost-effectiveness of the drones, one of their core advantages.
While the US is large enough and has deep enough pockets to fund US-made drones, the same is not true of other militaries in the world. This was recently highlighted by a recent Israeli contract that went to the bidder sourcing Chinese components because it was cheaper.
