PDW targets capacity for one million US-made drones a year

Performance Drone Works, a maker of small unmanned aircraft systems, says it wants to support domestic production of one million drones a year. The company's chief executive told an industry publication that the goal follows a conditional loan commitment from the Defense Department's Office of Strategic Capital, worth a reported $820 million.

The loan is expected to close within three to six months, the executive said. After that, the company estimates it will need about two years to expand facilities, add machinery, and build up staffing to reach the targeted production level.

The push comes amid concern in Washington over a widening gap between US and adversary drone manufacturing. China and Russia are producing millions of unmanned aircraft annually, the executive said, while US industry-wide capacity is estimated at somewhere between 100,000 and 300,000 drones a year.

PDW currently operates a 90,000-square-foot facility in Huntsville, Alabama, called Drone Factory 01. Much of the planned expansion will involve additional capital spending on land, buildings, and equipment to scale up manufacturing, according to the executive.

The company describes the investment as part of a broader effort to rebuild domestic capacity for small drone components and finished systems. Full financial and production details have not been finalized, pending completion of the government loan.