January 28, 2026 (Global) – Performance Drone Works (PDW) has detailed its ongoing work supporting the U.S. Army’s Transforming in Contact (TiC) units with the C100 small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) while positioning itself for the Army’s upcoming Medium Range Reconnaissance (MRR) programme of record, which could see fielding begin later this year and into 2027. The company’s engagement at Army training centres highlights the evolving role of modular, soldier‑portable UAS in tactical reconnaissance and battlefield awareness.
“That Company Direct Requirement is really laying the groundwork for the Medium Range Reconnaissance programme of record, which we’ll start to see at the end of this fiscal year into 2027,” said Jonathan Lowe, vice president of sales for Pentagon programmes at PDW.
Under the Army’s Company‑Level Directed Requirement sUAS programme, PDW’s C100 and Anduril Industries’ Ghost‑X were selected in September 2024 to provide systems that inform future MRR requirements. Each company is supplying 48 UAS units under this initiative, which is intended to give maneuver companies the capability to perform reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition missions with modular payloads and reconfigurable capabilities.
PDW has rapidly delivered C100 aircraft to TiC units, which are conducting extensive testing during exercises at the National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, California, as well as other training environments. These evaluations enable soldiers to push the envelope of how the C100 is employed, including integrating the sUAS with the Army’s Integrated Tactical Network and ground systems such as Bradley and Stryker vehicles, as well as fixed‑ and rotary‑wing assets.
Weighing approximately 21 pounds, the C100 can fly for up to 74 minutes, carry around 10 pounds of payload and be operated by a single user — fitting into a rucksack and deployable in about five minutes. Its modular design allows rapid integration of a range of payloads, including multi‑mission capabilities such as electronic warfare, mobile ad hoc network communications and visual navigation for GPS‑denied environments, based on direct feedback from deployed units.
PDW’s engagement with TiC units also extends beyond the U.S., with deployments at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, to ensure confidence in the equipment and inform iterative development based on real‑world feedback.
Industry analysts note that the Army’s MRR effort is intended to fill an operational gap between short‑range and long‑range reconnaissance systems, providing a Group 2 class UAS that enhances battalion‑ and company‑level situational awareness and mission flexibility. PDW’s C100 — with its endurance, modularity and integration capabilities — is positioned to address many of these requirements as the Army moves toward formalising the MRR programme of record.
