Skydio X10
Skydio's compact quadcopter drone for military and public-safety reconnaissance, introduced in September 2023.
The UK Ministry of Defence ordered 670 Skydio X10 INTL drones through Marlborough Communications, announced on 16 September 2026, the largest share of a £16m Project Rapstone buy of 1,025 small drones.
Last refreshed: 1 October 2026
Timeline for Skydio X10
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Drones: Industry & DefenceBackground
The Skydio X10 is a compact American reconnaissance quadcopter that Skydio introduced in September 2023. The baseline model serves enterprise and first-responder users. The X10D is the militarised variant, with a multi-band radio for contested environments, and the X10 INTL is the version the British Army ordered.
Military users include the US Army, which adopted the X10D in January 2025, and the Spanish Army. British forces join them through the 670 X10 INTL drones ordered in September 2026.
The design's chief exposure lies in its maker's supply chain. China's sanctions on Skydio, imposed in October 2024, ended its access to Chinese battery cells, a risk every X10 buyer now carries.
The X10 takes most Rapstone orders
Of the 1,025 small drones the Ministry of Defence is buying under Project Rapstone, 670 are Skydio X10 INTL quadcopters supplied through Marlborough Communications, announced on 16 September 2026. Evolve Dynamics and Brigantes Consulting share the remaining 355.
The order makes an American design the backbone of British small-drone reconnaissance, and it brings Skydio's supply exposure with it. Beijing sanctioned the maker on 11 October 2024 and cut it off from Chinese battery cells, leaving most RAPSTONE aircraft dependent on a squeezed supply chain. The UK Government says the X10 INTL is ready to fly in under a minute and reaches 45mph.