James Slider

32 posts

James Slider

@JamesSlider_PDW

Systems & Operations | CEO at PDW

Katılım January 2026

24 Takip Edilen147 Takipçiler

2026 Yıllık Özeti

@JamesSlider_PDW hesabının Twitter yılını gör

James Slider retweetledi

PDW@PDW_ai·21h

Time to get to work. America has answered the call before. Now, we must answer it again. The United States can no longer rely on foreign-controlled supply chains for the critical technologies and components required to build drones, robotics, and autonomous systems. The U.S. @DeptofWar's Office of Strategic Capital has committed up to $820 million to PDW to build the critical components that will power America’s drone industrial base. This announcement is bigger than PDW. It's a commitment to national security. We are honored to be the first American drone manufacturer to help advance this priority and remain committed to putting decisive airpower in the hands of every operator. This is not the finish line. It is the starting line. Proud to Protect. Read the Department of War's announcement below for further details.

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James Slider@JamesSlider_PDW·3d

pdw.ai/posts/a-letter…

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James Slider@JamesSlider_PDW·3d

Today marks an important milestone for PDW and for America's drone industrial base. I'm incredibly proud of our team and grateful for the confidence the Department of War has placed in PDW through its Office of Strategic Capital financing support. This moment is about more than manufacturing capacity. It's about ensuring operators have access to reliable, mission-capable systems and strengthening America’s ability to manufacture the critical components required to deliver them at scale. I shared a few thoughts on what this announcement means for PDW, our customers, and the broader mission below. We are Proud to Protect.

Department of War CTO@DoWCTO

The @DeptofWar’s Office of Strategic Capital announced an $820 million conditional loan commitment with Performance Drone Works (@PDW_ai) to expand domestic manufacturing for critical drone components. This financing will establish a new, high-volume source of domestically manufactured components for Group 1 and Group 2 unmanned aircraft, strengthening the U.S. drone industrial base and addressing critical supply chain bottlenecks. ACHIEVING AMERICAN DRONE DOMINANCE

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James Slider retweetledi

PDW@PDW_ai·3d

Today, the @DeptofWar's Office of Strategic Capital announced an $820 million commitment to PDW to help strengthen America's drone industrial base and expand domestic manufacturing of critical components. This financing will help accelerate PDW’s mission to put decisive airpower in the hands of every operator. It also reinforces an important national priority: strengthening America's ability to design, manufacture, and scale critical drone systems and components here at home. We are honored by the trust placed in our team and look forward to laying the foundation of America’s drone arsenal. PDW is Proud to Protect.

Department of War CTO@DoWCTO

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James Slider@JamesSlider_PDW·Jul 23

Members of our leadership team recently traveled to Ukraine for a simple reason: to learn. The objective wasn't to come back with a particular product or technology. It was to better understand how modern warfare is changing, how quickly innovation is happening, and what those lessons mean for companies building capabilities for the U.S. military. There's no substitute for seeing it firsthand, talking with operators and engineers, and challenging your own assumptions. Proud of the team for capturing a few of those observations in our Field Notes.

PDW@PDW_ai

We recently traveled to Ukraine to better understand one of the world's fastest defense innovation ecosystems. We came back with a deeper appreciation for how quickly operators, engineers, and manufacturers are learning together, and what that means for companies building capabilities for the U.S. military. The battlefield is compressing development cycles in ways that would have been difficult to imagine just a few years ago. Hardware evolves. Software evolves. Countermeasures evolve. The organizations that can observe, adapt, and iterate the fastest are setting a new standard for defense innovation. In the first edition of Field Notes, we share five observations from the trip that will continue shaping how we think about product development, manufacturing, and delivering better capabilities to America's warfighters. Read the full article below. #DefenseTechnology #Autonomy #DefenseInnovation #UAS #NationalSecurity

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James Slider@JamesSlider_PDW·Jul 4

Happy Independence Day.

PDW@PDW_ai

As America celebrates 250 years of independence, it's worth remembering that independence is not a moment frozen in history. It is something every generation has been called to protect and preserve. For some, that work began in uniform. Today, they bring that same commitment into designing, building, and delivering the technologies that will help equip the next generation of warfighters. Happy Independence Day.

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James Slider@JamesSlider_PDW·Jul 3

pdw.ai/posts/the-next…

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James Slider@JamesSlider_PDW·Jul 3

The Founders spent a lot of time writing essays. I figured I'd honor the tradition. As America marks its 250th birthday, I've been thinking about stewardship and what each generation inherits, what it builds, and what it leaves behind. This is my reflection on America's first 250 years and the responsibility we share for the next 250. Read my essay at the link below.

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James Slider@JamesSlider_PDW·Jul 2

Organizational design matters because it shapes the speed of execution. Yesterday's announcement establishing a DRPM for Unmanned Systems is another signal that the @DeptofWar is treating organizational speed as a combat capability. Over the past year, we've seen a consistent push to accelerate how capability moves from industry to the field. As @SecWar Hegseth said in his memo, "speed of execution is paramount." Every capability moves through a series of decisions long before it reaches an operator. The fewer unnecessary transitions along the way, the faster those decisions can be made - and the faster we can put decisive airpower in the hands of every operator.

DefenseScoop - @defensescoop.bsky.social@DefenseScoop

Hegseth realigning DOD’s scattered unmanned and autonomy work under new drone boss: scoopmedia.co/4vGMQdN

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James Slider@JamesSlider_PDW·Jun 29

pdw.ai/posts/decisive…

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James Slider@JamesSlider_PDW·Jun 29

At PDW, our mission is decisive airpower in the hands of every operator. That's an ambitious statement. It also reflects where I believe warfare is headed. For most of modern military history, airpower has been something you requested. I believe it's becoming something every operator carries into the fight. I'd be interested to hear what others think. Read the full blog at the link below.

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James Slider@JamesSlider_PDW·Jun 24

Today, we officially completed PDW's acquisition of Vanteon. We're adding a talented team of engineers and technical professionals who share our commitment to solving hard problems for our customers, and I'm excited about what we'll build together. Welcome aboard, Vanteon. #WinTogether

PDW@PDW_ai

We're pleased to share that PDW has officially completed its acquisition of Vanteon. This addition strengthens our communications engineering capabilities and expands our team with approximately 40 talented engineers and technical professionals. Most importantly, we're excited to welcome the Vanteon team to PDW. Learn more about the acquisition at the link below.

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James Slider@JamesSlider_PDW·Jun 16

Last week I met with congressional offices in Washington D.C. and am encouraged by the alignment around one idea: the future force will require autonomous systems that can be produced rapidly, fielded at scale, and delivered at a fraction of the cost of traditional platforms. The recently published House FY27 Defense Appropriations bill echoes this sentiment and sends a clear signal about where defense modernization is headed. For years, autonomous systems and low-cost munitions have been discussed as future priorities. This bill proposes, for the first time, establishing procurement pathways and programmatic funding for these critical capabilities that will enhance America's strategic military advantage. This is one of the strongest congressional signals we've seen that the Department is moving beyond experimentation and toward fielding autonomous systems and affordable precision effects. Just as importantly, Congress is helping lay the foundation for a more resilient U.S. supply chain. This bill is a meaningful step toward building the industrial capacity and force structure needed for the next era of conflict. appropriations.house.gov/news/press-rel…

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James Slider@JamesSlider_PDW·Jun 4

pdw.ai/posts/communic…

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James Slider@JamesSlider_PDW·Jun 4

Excited to mark PDW’s first acquisition. PDW's agreement to acquire Vanteon is more than an expansion of our communications expertise, it's an investment in the future of our sUAS portfolio. We’ve worked closely with Vanteon for years. They bring deep RF design and SDR expertise, a strong engineering team, and capabilities that directly support our mission and the systems we’re building today. Proud of the team that brought this together. I put my thoughts to paper on how communications are the next competitive advantage in the article below.

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James Slider retweetledi

PDW@PDW_ai·Jun 4

Connectivity is a critical capability, not a feature. PDW's agreement to acquire Vanteon strengthens our ability to design, develop, and deliver next-generation sUAS capabilities while expanding mission-critical connectivity at the tactical edge. We're excited to welcome the Vanteon team and build on a trusted partnership as we continue advancing the future of autonomous systems. Read more at the link below.

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James Slider@JamesSlider_PDW·May 27

Two things matter enormously in this market right now: the ability to scale production and the ability to evolve faster than the threat. We’ve invested heavily in both. @PDW_ai has already put real infrastructure, manufacturing capacity, and supply chain work in place to deliver systems at scale while much of the industry is still theorizing or prototyping. At the same time, we’re building forward-designed platforms, like our Attritable Multirotor (AM), that can rapidly evolve alongside operational requirements, from autonomy and payload integration to networking, training, sustainment, and deployment workflows. The battlefield will keep changing. Systems need to change with it. Appreciate @InsideUnmanned for the conversation with Ryan and Dylan.

PDW@PDW_ai

The tactical drone market is moving fast, but the real challenge is no longer just building a drone. It’s building systems that operators can effectively deploy, adapt, sustain, and scale in real-world conditions. PDW’s Chief Innovation Officer @rgury and Chief Technology Officer Dylan Hamm sat down with @InsideUnmanned to discuss the evolving Drone Dominance landscape, lessons learned from Gauntlet 1, and where the market is heading next. The conversation covers: • Operator workflows and reducing cognitive load • Scaling pilot training and operational readiness • Designing for contested EW environments • Modular systems and payload flexibility • Building domestic supply chains that can actually support mass production Success on the battlefield will require companies to combine superior performance, manufacturability, and operational utility, not just demos and prototypes. Read the full interview in comments below.

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James Slider@JamesSlider_PDW·May 15

Excited to welcome Samantha Greenberg and Bill Welch to the PDW Board. Looking forward to their guidance, perspective, and partnership in pursuit of our mission.

PDW@PDW_ai

PDW has appointed Samantha Greenberg and William Welch to our Board of Directors. These appointments reinforce our leadership as we advance our mission to bring decisive airpower into the hands of every operator and scale the delivery of modern tactical robotics. Read more at the link below.

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James Slider@JamesSlider_PDW·May 7

Our mission is clear: Decisive airpower in the hands of every operator. We need autonomous drones that can operate at speed and scale in real-world conditions - compressing the distance between sensing, decision, and action to increase resilience and strength at the edge. Our partnership with @BoozAllen is a critical, collaborative step towards further advancing next generation hardware and autonomy for UAS.

PDW@PDW_ai

Autonomy without scale doesn’t change the battlefield. Scale without autonomy doesn’t change outcomes. Warfighters need both. @BoozAllen's investment in PDW brings together advanced autonomy with U.S.-based production at meaningful scale, aligned to the @DeptofWar's push for affordable, mission-ready systems. PDW was built to close the gap between what modern conflict demands and what can actually be delivered when and where it’s needed. This partnership accelerates that work. We’re proud to be building the capability and capacity to put the U.S. and its allies in a position of strength. Read more in the @ExecutiveBiz article below.

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James Slider@JamesSlider_PDW·Apr 24

The FY 2027 budget request for defense spending underscores a critical commitment to rebuilding a domestic manufacturing base and modernizing our force. We see this request as validation that mission success now depends on a faster, more integrated defense industrial base. The opportunity ahead is to turn this funding into real capability by accelerating modernization across the industry.