During the Combined Resolve 25-1 exercise at the Hohenfels Training Area in Germany, U.S. Soldiers from the 317th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, tested the capabilities of the Skydio X2D drone.
This cutting-edge, American-made Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) was trialed on January 14, 2025, as part of the Army’s Transformation in Contact initiative, which focuses on integrating advanced technologies to enhance combat readiness.
The Skydio X2D is designed for rapid deployment, capable of being airborne in less than a minute. Intended for use at the platoon echelon, it is portable enough to fit in a rucksack and provides high-resolution video for day and night aerial reconnaissance missions at ranges up to three kilometers.
The drone is equipped with six 4K cameras and additional payloads, including a 12-megapixel color camera and a FLIR thermal sensor with a resolution of 320×256 pixels. These features enable operators to detect and identify targets effectively in diverse conditions.
A standout feature of the X2D is its ability to operate autonomously, even in environments with heavy electronic warfare interference. This resilience makes it a reliable tool for reconnaissance missions in contested or GPS-denied areas, where traditional systems may fail.
While the X2D is significantly more expensive than commercial drones like the DJI Mavic 3T, its MIL-SPEC design ensures durability and reliability under battlefield conditions, justifying its higher cost.
The deployment of the Skydio X2D reflects the Army’s commitment to leveraging advanced systems to improve operational effectiveness. The exercise also provided valuable insights into how emerging technologies like the X2D can be employed in real-world scenarios.