Skyfront, a manufacturer of long-endurance hybrid-electric drones, has been awarded a U.S. Army contract to field its Perimeter 8 drone alongside Army units, integrate the aircraft into existing command-and-control networks, train soldiers and instructors, and provide ongoing sustainment. Contract value, term and award vehicle are not being publicly disclosed.

Skyfront executed the first phase during a three-week Colorado deployment with partner AeroIntel Systems, integrating the Perimeter 8 into armored combat vehicles and Army C2 architecture while training instructors and supporting overnight beyond-visual-line-of-sight surveillance missions.

The aircraft connected to a tactical communications stack including Silvus Technologies MANET radios, Persistent Systems Wave Relay mesh networking and Starlink satellite backhaul, pushing live imagery from a Trillium Engineering EO/IR gimbal continuously to the broader force.

The Perimeter 8 also served as an airborne communications relay, carrying radios across multiple bands to extend network reach in complex terrain. By deployment’s end, soldiers were operating the aircraft at 10-mile BVLOS range to provide persistent overwatch for maneuvering forces.

“The contract validates that the Perimeter 8 can be operated from inside armored vehicles, plugged into the Army’s existing networks, and used as both a surveillance asset and a communications relay,” said Troy Mestler, CEO of Skyfront.