In the Field: PDW Supports Army TIC Units at the National Training Center

January 2025: The U.S. Army has called for a leaner, more lethal force through its Transformation Initiative, adapting how forces fight, train, organize and buy equipment. PDW traveled to the Mojave Desert to support this effort by providing hands-on training and collecting real-time feedback from multiple Army Transformation in Contact (TIC) units at the National Training Center (NTC). 

The mission: support technical integration and employment of the C100 system in a realistic and contested operating environment. Large-scale exercises at the NTC push units and technology to their limits and PDW’s visit demonstrates its commitment to ensuring operators and systems are prepared for the rigors of the battlefield.

For the Soldiers flying PDW’s C100 sUAS, the training offered more than a rehearsal, it was an opportunity to refine their skills under the guidance of experienced PDW instructors with a deep technical knowledge of the system.

“Through PDW’s support of the Army’s TIC initiative and partnership Program Management Office Small UAS (PM SUAS), we’re not just supporting the warfighter, we’re iterating alongside them,” said PDW Co-Founder Ryan Gury. “We put a high value on seeing how our systems perform under pressure because we can feed that data right back to our engineering and manufacturing teams.”

This cycle of feedback and rapid iteration is a critical differentiator of PDW from other defense tech companies. The company’s agile operational mindset means improvements can be made in near-real time, informed directly by Soldier experience.

“While the Soldiers sharpen their skills for upcoming deployments at NTC, PDW is doing the same in Huntsville: strengthening our systems and support to ensure that warfighters are equipped with reliable and effective capabilities,” continued Gury.

PDW’s visit to the NTC provided on-the-spot support, troubleshooting, and mentorship, increasing Soldier's confidence and skills to fly successfully in a complex and dynamic operational environment. PDW also spent time with leaders at Fort Irwin, discussing evolving sUAS requirements, mission sets and how PDW can best support the Army through the Transformation Initiative and beyond.

PDW has received three contracts from U.S. Army to supply C100 UAS in support of the Army's TIC initiative, the most recent being a $20.9 million award for the C100 and Multi-Mission Payloads (MMP). 

“PDW’s commitment doesn’t stop at delivery of our systems,” concluded Gury. “It continues onto the training field and into theatre, right alongside the Soldiers who depend on them.”