SAN MATEO Calif., March 4, 2025 -- Skydio, the leading U.S. drone manufacturer and world leader in autonomous flight, today announced the availability of its Interface Control Document (ICD) for X10D payload attachments. Building on the modular, open platform of Skydio X10D, the Attachment ICD enables third parties to build payload attachments that extend the drone's capabilities to further meet mission requirements.
Skydio X10D, which started delivery last year in full-rate production, is ideal for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) applications critical to defense and government agencies. Defense customers have a myriad of requirements for missions on and off the battlefield, and Skydio offers optional attachments including Spotlight, Speaker, RTK/PPK, Parachute, and the industry's first attachment enabling autonomous flight in zero-light conditions - NightSense. With the Attachment ICD, defense and government customers and partners can enable these capabilities on X10D.
Examples of custom attachments include:
- Payload Delivery and Dropper devices
- Radio and Signal Relay devices
- Electronic Warfare (EW) or Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Signal Detection devices
- Chemical Detection devices
- Diversionary devices
X10D has four payload attachment bays capable of delivering up to 50 watts of power each. The Attachment Detection Protocol ensures that attachments are correctly enabled, powered, and managed by the X10D. In future versions, Skydio will support multiple attachment profiles that load the appropriate software to smoothly integrate different payload types into the X10D's existing systems. Example profiles include MAVLink and networking devices.
Skydio partners L3Harris Technologies Inc. and Elsight have already conducted successful tests with custom external payloads using the Attachment ICD.
The L3Harris RF-9820S-ER is a versatile, low-SWaP Software Defined Radio (SDR), interoperable with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) program of record radios, and runs the resilient Wraith™ waveform that has proven GPS denied and anti-jam resilience. An initial 2-day integration event with L3Harris culminated in a successful test flight of X10D using C2 and video over the L3Harris RF-9820S-ER.
"Bringing together Skydio's X10D with L3Harris' embeddable radio running the Wraith™ waveform, we have created a highly capable unmanned platform that can confidently operate in GPS-denied and jammed environments," said Bob Daminski, Director of Unmanned Systems at L3Harris.
The Elsight Halo provides Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) connectivity for drones, UAVs, and other uncrewed systems. The Halo uses aggregated bonding of multiple cellular modems simultaneously to manage a continuous connection with all available connectivity options from cellular, radio, and satellite sources. Skydio and Elsight have successfully flown the X10D with all C2 and video over the Elsight Halo.
"Our battlefield-proven Halo for BVLOS connectivity enables military field operations to maintain communications in areas of minimal infrastructure, avoid interference and jamming, and control the system remotely from anywhere in the world," said Yoav Amitai, CEO of Elsight. "We are excited to be a part of Skydio's extended, modular, open platform of the X10D. We look forward to contributing our robust and innovative BVLOS capabilities to many U.S. defense applications and exercises."
Over the past five years, Skydio drones have been chosen by every branch of the U.S. Department of Defense, plus those of 25 allied nations.
"We are committed to serving the needs of the U.S. military and our allies. With this Attachment ICD, these organizations can now adapt the Skydio X10D to the specific requirements of their mission," said Ryan Reading, Vice President of Engineering at Skydio. "Our vision is to build a platform that can be rapidly adapted by developers and integrators to meet the needs of military users. This action builds on the modularity and openness that is the foundation of the Skydio X10D platform."
Skydio X10D delivers the best of human-machine teaming with capabilities including:
- Unparalleled sensor technology, advanced autonomous navigation, and a modular, open architecture that is critical for the dynamic nature of military requirements.
- Resiliency in the face of electronic warfare
- Rapid deployment at scale, drawing on Skydio's proven record of shipping more than 45,000 drones.
- Dual-use benefits with Skydio X10 serving the demands of over 2,500 commercial and public organizations every day.
With artificial intelligence and autonomous navigation, Skydio X10D features 360-degree obstacle detection, modular payload options, and robust cybersecurity protections. Its lightweight, rugged design ensures reliability in the most challenging environments, while its adaptability supports future mission requirements.
Customers and partners can request the Attachment ICD for X10D by visiting: skydio.com/developer-tools.
About Skydio
Skydio is the leading U.S. drone manufacturer and world leader in autonomous flight, using breakthrough AI to create the world's most intelligent flying machines for public safety, government, inspection and mapping, and commercial users. Skydio designs, assembles, and supports its products in the U.S. from its headquarters in San Mateo, Calif.
Founded in 2014, Skydio is trusted by industry leaders and backed by top investors and strategic partners including Andreessen Horowitz, Levitate Capital, Next47, IVP, Playground, and NVIDIA. For more information, follow Skydio on LinkedIn or visit Skydio.com.
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