Skydio has secured a $9 million contract from US Air Forces Central (USAFCENT) to provide dock-based drone systems for enhancing security at US airbases throughout the Middle East. The deal, which includes Skydio Dock platforms and X10 drones, represents a major expansion of autonomous drone infrastructure for overseas installation defense.
USAFCENT, the air component of US Central Command, oversees operations across a vast region that includes the Middle East, Egypt, Central Asia, and parts of South Asia.
At the core of the system is the Skydio Dock, an autonomous “drone-in-a-box” solution capable of launching, recovering, charging, and housing drones. Positioned at key locations, it allows drones to be deployed in under 20 seconds and operated by a single individual, improving operational efficiency and reducing personnel requirements. The drones can quickly respond to security incidents, delivering live high-definition and thermal video feeds to defense operations centers while maintaining continuous surveillance.
The X10 drone is a Group 1 unmanned aerial system widely utilized by US Air Force Security Forces, offering reliable performance even in electronically contested environments. Its multiband radio enables adaptive frequency switching to counter jamming, while visual-inertial odometry supports navigation in GPS-denied conditions. The drone is equipped with high-resolution optical and thermal sensors, allowing rapid identification and tracking of personnel, vehicles, and other objects.
