While DJI drones sit on the FCC blacklist and American agencies scramble for alternatives, Skydio just played its strongest hand yet. At Ascend 2025, the San Mateo-based company unveiled two drones that could reshape how America's first responders and enterprise operators think about autonomous flight.
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The R10: First-Ever American Indoor Drone for Public Safety
Let's be clear: indoor drones exist. But Skydio's R10 is the first U.S.-made indoor drone specifically engineered for public safety operations. That distinction matters enormously in a market where government agencies are legally prohibited from purchasing Chinese-manufactured equipment.
🔑 Skydio R10 Key Features
- •Indoor-Optimized Design: Built for tight quarters with enhanced obstacle avoidance
- •Built-in Lighting: Onboard illumination for dark environments
- •DFR Integration: Works seamlessly with Drone as First Responder ecosystem
- •Unified Control: Same controller as X10—one operator, multiple drones
What makes the R10 genuinely compelling isn't just the hardware—it's the ecosystem integration. Agencies already using the Skydio X10 for outdoor surveillance can add R10 units without retraining pilots or buying new ground control equipment. The same Remote Ops and DFR Command software manages both platforms.
"An agency could use the X10 and R10 in concert, with the former providing outdoor watch and the latter providing indoor reconnaissance, all managed by the same operator."— Skydio Ascend 2025
The F10: 90-Minute Fixed-Wing Changes Everything
If the R10 handles the tight spaces, the F10 conquers distance. This fully autonomous fixed-wing drone targets a 90+ minute flight time at speeds exceeding 80 mph. For context: DJI's longest-flying consumer drone maxes out at around 46 minutes.
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Use Cases That Make the F10 Essential
High-Speed Pursuits
Track fleeing vehicles across county lines without helicopter costs
Rural DFR Coverage
Reach remote incidents where traditional drones run out of battery
Long Linear Inspections
Power lines, pipelines, and rail corridors in a single flight
The Dock Innovation: Cybertruck Launch Pads
Skydio didn't just announce a fixed-wing drone—they showed it launching from a Tesla Cybertruck. The company is building automatic launch and recovery platforms specifically for the F10, complete with robotic arms that prepare the drone for flight.
This isn't just showmanship. Mobile launch platforms solve a real problem for agencies needing rapid deployment without permanent infrastructure. Imagine a sheriff's department parking a truck at a highway overpass and having eyes 50 miles in any direction within minutes.
Why Skydio Is Timing This Perfectly
The R10 and F10 announcements land at the exact moment American agencies are legally required to stop buying Chinese drones. With DJI and Autel blocked from new government procurement, Skydio faces less competition for the contracts that matter most.
📅 Availability Timeline
The Bigger Picture: Multi-Drone Autonomy
Perhaps the most significant announcement wasn't a new drone at all—it was the demonstration of multi-drone operations managed by a single operator. Skydio showed how one pilot can coordinate multiple X10s, R10s, and eventually F10s from unified command software.
This capability addresses a fundamental limitation of current drone programs: the 1:1 ratio of pilots to aircraft. If one operator can manage a fleet, the economics of drone deployment shift dramatically in favor of agencies with limited personnel.
The Bottom Line for American Drone Operators
Skydio is building exactly what U.S. agencies need: American-made drones that integrate into a unified ecosystem, comply with NDAA requirements, and deliver capabilities that match or exceed Chinese alternatives.
The R10 and F10 aren't consumer products—and that's the point. Skydio exited the consumer market in 2023 to focus entirely on government and enterprise. These announcements prove that bet is paying off.
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