Performance Drone Works (PDW), leading manufacturer of military small unmanned aerial systems and technologies, relies on Doodle Labs’ long-range, high-bandwidth Helix Mesh Rider Radio in its C100 drone, a a man-packable, heavy-lift drone built for tactical military missions.
“PDW is engineering some of the most versatile tactical UAS platforms on the market, so we knew our datalink component needed to be up to the many challenges end-users are bound to put the C100 through,” said Ashish Parikh, VP Business Development for Doodle Labs. “When we say our Helix Mesh Rider Radio is ‘built for global deployment,’ the missions in which the C100 is perfectly suited to excel are exactly what we have in mind. This platform can do it all.”
Performance Drone Works’ C100
The C100 is a heavy-lift quadcopter platform designed for a wide range of tactical applications. The compact man-packable drone folds into a small rucksack and can be deployed and airborne in under 2 minutes.
The aircraft holds the world record for the longest-endurance battery-powered sUAS and can fly for up to 74 minutes with its standard Trillium military-grade EO/IR payload.
The versatile system carries up to 30 lbs and can be equipped with a variety of payloads for missions including persistent ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), cargo delivery and tactical strike.
The aircraft also features an independent fixed flight camera for first-person view, enhancing operator navigation.
The C100 is built around a modular open architecture, allowing new hardware and powertrain modifications to be seamlessly integrated. The system incorporates DIU Blue-UAS approved flight avionics. Doodle Labs’ Helix Mesh Rider Radio provides an AES-256 encrypted datalink for reliable and secure communication and transmission of HD video and other high-bandwidth data.
Doodle Labs’ Helix Mesh Rider Radio
Doodle Labs’ Helix Mesh Rider Radio was developed with sponsorship from the US Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and is fully compliant with DIU’s Blue UAS program.
The Helix Mesh Rider Radio makes use of the company’s proprietary multi-band technology to cover a range of licensed radio frequencies often used by groups in the US DoD in a single radio, from M1 to M6, which is 1.6 GHz to 2.5 GHz.
The radio’s mini-OEM form factor is extremely low-SWaP (size, weight, and power) and boasts FIPS 140-3-certified encryption, both crucial for tactical military missions.
About Performance Drone Works
PDW is a leading provider of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and is committed to delivering secure, reliable, and NDAA compliant solutions for the defense industry. With a focus on innovation and collaboration, PDW holds multiple sUAS performance world records and over 20 unique sUAS-related patents.
PDW’s products are developed for the warfighter with frequent touchpoints and operator input from sUAS users across the US military and law enforcement. Their flagship, multi-mission C100 provides operators with the tools necessary to quickly deploy in the field, ensure mission effectiveness, and exit cleanly.
Headquartered in Huntsville, AL, PDW strives to meet the evolving needs of the operator and support the defense community in achieving its objectives. For more information visit www.pdw.ai