Defending what matters, PDW is the drone production powerhouse that takes innovation to the frontline
Manufacturing at the forefront of modern warfare, Performance Drone Works (PDW) leads the industry with cutting-edge drone technologies. Established in 2015, PDW’s heritage is rooted in high speed and precision, emerging from DRL (Drone Racing League) – the world’s first televised drone racing league, which saw enthusiasts flying through complex 3D courses at top speeds of 90 mph. For the next three years, the company continued to dominate the drone racing sphere, notably partnering with AI computing leader, Nvidia, on an international autonomous drone competition before launching a new initiative focusing on the role of high-performance first-person view (FPV) drones on the battlefield.
In 2018, the ‘PDW’ name was born. The convergence of key leadership, engineering, and software experts from DRL marked a defining era for the new company as it completely shifted its focus to military and defense aerospace. Backed by RSE Ventures, PDW began to work closely with the Department of Defense and the US military to develop the most advanced, highest performing drone systems to serve on the most critical lines of defense. The company was proud to launch its iconic C100 drone system – a multi-mission tactical quadcopter – in 2022 and its AM-FPV system in 2025.
Today, PDW remains a world leader in the development of high-performance drone systems. Now in its tenth year, the company is greater and more dynamic than ever before, redefining the standards of aerospace manufacturing where it matters most. Manufacturing Today sits down with Ryan Gury, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of PDW, and Deb Walock, Vice President of Production Operations, to learn more about how the company is leveraging the characteristics of commercial product development to drive fast iteration and constant excellence in one of the world’s fastest evolving landscapes.
“Commercial technologies are starting to disrupt defense across multiple fronts in global conflicts. The first drone strike on Ukraine’s soil, for instance, was around 24-30 months ago, and it now makes up 70 percent of all Russian strikes. Warfare is always changing, and drones are the defining ammunition of the new era,” Ryan begins. “We harness some of the traits of commercial product development and apply them to the traditional aerospace model. We’re not stagnant; aerospace is one of the fastest moving spaces in the world, meaning that we must update our manufacturing and constantly evolve. We must meet the requirements of a product that can never fail; it’s in the hands of the greatest soldiers in the world whose lives, ultimately, depend on the success of the equipment.”
All PDW’s systems are designed, manufactured, and tested in its 90,000 square foot, state-of-the-art production facility, Drone Factory 01 (DF01), which can accommodate a top output of up to 350 C100 models and 5000 AM-FPVs per month. Championing a vertically integrated approach, the factory is optimized for the highest levels of operational efficiency, fully equipped with the innovative technologies to drive the fast iteration and excellence that sets PDW apart.
“Our entire factory is designed to meeting the evolving requirements of tomorrow’s wars. We do a few things that are quite novel; for example, our engineering team is firmly placed on the same floor as our manufacturing line, so such requirements flow organically from product engineering to manufacturing to testing in a very fast style,” Ryan explains. “Working with the US Army, for instance, we’ve already delivered three different block models within the last 18 months, so not only do we have to manufacture scalable systems that are a fraction of the price of prior combat systems, but we have to scale those systems to be distributed to single squads and units and be able to change those on the fly when new requirements arise.”
“We have a wide breadth of capabilities from a vertical integration standpoint, which allows us to iterate quickly,” Deb continues. “Our process always starts with design innovation, engineering, and rapid, high-quality prototyping. We have a 5-axis CNC machine, injection molding equipment, 3D printers, a coordinate measuring machine (CMM), and conformal coating, and provisioning processes that enable quick prototyping and production. Our manufacturing process leverages these technologies in electromechanical subassembly through final assembly for cables, battery chargers, arms, and payloads.” 
Powering this high velocity and iteration is PDW’s most important asset: its talented, hardworking team. With over 20 percent of its workforce and over 60 percent of leadership having served in the military, PDW’s workforce boasts the highest levels of experience and expertise, which is a key driver in the company’s passion, innovation, and overall excellence.
“We focus a lot on culture because our mission is so meaningful. We have products designed by veterans, our go-to-market team is led by former Navy Seals, and numerous people in our production engineering have also served in many ways,” Deb elaborates. “We have a high population who truly understand what it means to be on the battlefield. This experience is a competitive advantage both for our customers and our employees. We’ve tried to become the employer of choice for people who are mission-driven for national security, and that has helped us greatly in terms of retention.”
In an ever-increasingly tumultuous global political climate, warfare requires continuously evolving strategies and approaches. Fortunately, PDW is armed with the capabilities to stand above the ordinary standards of innovation, transforming the future of defense with its high speed, scalable manufacturing model. As 2025 steadily draws to a close, PDW is poised for another successful year – one defined by efficiency, dynamism, and a strive to go where others can’t to keep soldiers safe on the frontline.
“We’ve had to develop a whole manufacturing system that can pivot and evolve on the fly; we can’t ship prototypes, so everything we deliver must be fast iteration, which puts us in a challenging position because this has never been done before. It means that Deb must constantly pivot, retrain her staff and keep a culture of excellence, but I think that that’s what makes us very different to everyone else. A typical manufacturing facility may make one product on a line that runs for years; our products last for a few months before they need to be changed again. It’s what’s needed to keep drones on the frontline, and is absolutely what’s necessary to win tomorrow’s wars,” Ryan affirms.
“Looking to the future ahead, we want to be the dominant home of small drones for the US and its allies,” he concludes. “We’ll continue to develop combat systems that are far beyond the capabilities of our enemies.”