C100
Performance Drone Works · United States · also known as C100 Defense, C100 Public Safety, PDW C100 · Updated
C100 is a backpack-portable multi-mission tactical quadcopter developed by Performance Drone Works (PDW) of the United States. Built around swappable sensor and effector payloads, it is marketed in Defense and Public Safety configurations and is certified under the US Department of Defense's Blue UAS program.
Overview
PDW designed the C100 — which the company's CEO, Ryan Gury, calls its "mothership" — as a foldable sUAS that a soldier can carry in a rucksack and deploy for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, communications relay, and kinetic-effects missions through interchangeable payload bays. The aircraft received Defense Innovation Unit Blue UAS approval in December 2023, and PDW has since won US Army and US Air Force contracts, including a $15.3 million US Army award in December 2024 for C100 deliveries across the Indo-Pacific, European and Central Command areas of responsibility. The US Coast Guard has validated the aircraft for shipboard operations, and the US Secret Service has said it will adopt the C100 for threat detection and VIP overwatch. PDW builds the C100 at its Drone Factory 01 facility in Huntsville, Alabama, sized to produce hundreds of units per month.
Design and capabilities
The C100 folds to 24 × 15 × 8 in and unfolds to roughly 64 × 65 × 11 in, weighing 21.9 lb (9.9 kg) empty with a maximum take-off weight of 31.9 lb (14.5 kg), giving a maximum payload mass of up to 10 lb (4.5 kg). PDW rates the standard aircraft's endurance at up to 74 minutes with an ISR payload and its operational radius at up to 6.2 miles (10 km), extendable to 12.4 miles (20 km) with an optional Range Extension Kit. Speed options range from a 2.2 m/s safe mode up to an 18 m/s (40.3 mph / 64.8 km/h) dash mode, with a maximum operational altitude of 12,000 ft (3,658 m) MSL. The airframe is IP54-rated and rated to fly in winds up to 30 mph sustained with a 10 lb payload, and operates across −20°C to 57°C. Swappable payloads include EO/IR camera turrets (Trillium, Raptor LP, DragonEye2, Stag-5 SLD), a FireBeast signals-intelligence package, a PVP vision-based navigation system for GPS-denied environments, and a Doodle Labs Silvus MANET radio relay; the supply chain is NDAA-compliant and the avionics are Blue UAS certified.
Operational history
The C100 entered US military and government service following its December 2023 Blue UAS listing, with the US Army awarding contracts worth more than $15.3 million for deliveries beginning in late 2024 and the US Air Force's 93rd Air Ground Operations Wing also fielding the type. The US Coast Guard has validated shipboard C100 operations, and the US Secret Service has announced plans to use it for threat detection and VIP overwatch.
Frequently asked questions
What is the flight time of the C100?
PDW rates it at up to 74 minutes with an ISR payload.
How far can the C100 fly?
PDW gives an operational range of up to 6.2 miles (10 km), extendable to 12.4 miles (20 km) with an optional Range Extension Kit.
How much payload can the C100 carry?
Up to 10 lb (4.5 kg), against a maximum take-off weight of 31.9 lb (14.5 kg).
Who uses the C100?
US military and government customers, including the US Army, the US Air Force's 93rd Air Ground Operations Wing, the US Coast Guard and the US Secret Service.
Who makes the C100?
Performance Drone Works (PDW), a US defense company based in Huntsville, Alabama.
