HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - PDW (Performance Drone Works) has officially opened Drone Factory 01, its new 90,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Alabama.
The massive facility exponentially increases PDW's production capacity and reinforces the company's role as a provider of battlefield-ready unmanned aircraft systems. Located in close proximity to the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal, PDW's new facility will house the team delivering drones designed, engineered and manufactured in America.
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Purpose-built to support rapid iteration and full-rate production of the C100 multi-mission UAS and the AM-FPV attritable munition, the facility was built to meet and exceed the surging demand from U.S. and allied forces. Drone Factory 01(DF01) will bring the full production lifecycle of PDW's products under one roof – from design and manufacturing to flight test and delivery.
The new facility vastly increases the company's build rates and output capacity, enabling the production of 350 C100s and 5,000 AM-FPVs per month.
"There is a national imperative and ethical duty to provide our warfighters and first responders with the most technologically advanced and operationally capable tools possible," PDW CEO and Co-founder Ryan Gury said. "This facility gives us the scale, speed and control needed to deliver mission-critical systems ahead of the threat. The ever-evolving battlefield and global threat landscape demand reliable multi-mission unmanned systems capable of rapid production at scale. Drone Factory 01 will allow us to produce these systems, deliver to operators in the field and iterate as needed faster than ever before."
Renowned for its modular architecture, PDW's C100 enables interoperability with dozens of payloads to maximize reconnaissance, range and impact. The company has received numerous contracts from the U.S. Army, including the Medium Range Reconnaissance (MRR) program and Transformation in Contact Initiative. C100 also provides mission-critical capabilities for public safety operations, closing the preparedness gap and giving front line forces an exponential edge.
"Huntsville is more than our headquarters, it's our edge," PDW COO and President James Slider said. "The innovation coming out of this city is reshaping the pace of defense manufacturing. We're not reacting to demand; we're setting the pace. This facility proves what's possible when the right people are in the right place with the right mission."
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