PDW Receives Conditional $820 Million Loan Commitment from U.S. Department of War to Power America's Drone Arsenal

High-volume domestic manufacturing capacity strengthens America's ability to build critical drone components essential to national security and industrial competitiveness.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., July 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- PDW Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Performance Drone Works ("PDW"), today announced a conditional loan commitment of up to $820 million from the Department of War's Office of Strategic Capital ("OSC") to expand domestic manufacturing capacity for the critical technologies and components behind the next generation of drones, robotics, and autonomous systems and reduce America's reliance on foreign-controlled supply chains, strengthening domestic manufacturing capability.

The ability to rapidly design, build, test, and deliver mission-capable systems at scale begins with manufacturing. PDW has brought engineering, flight test, systems integration, production, and fulfillment together under one roof to build scaled, integrated manufacturing operations for unmanned systems at Drone Factory 01, the company's 90,000-square-foot facility in Huntsville, Ala.

Building on that foundation, the OSC financing and additional private capital is intended to:

• Establish domestic production of critical drone and robotics components currently dependent on foreign-controlled supply chains, including propulsion, power and control, vision systems and other enabling technologies;
• Supply trusted, American-made components for PDW-produced aircraft and other domestic manufacturers, bolstering the broader U.S. drone industrial base; and
• Support urgent defense requirements today while establishing enduring manufacturing capability for future public safety, industrial, and commercial applications.

"America's ability to respond tomorrow depends on the industrial capacity we build today," said James Slider, CEO of PDW. "This conditional commitment from the Department of War's Office of Strategic Capital would support the critical need of strengthening domestic manufacturing and restoring America's ability to build the capabilities our nation depends on. We are proud to take on that responsibility, and proud to protect the operators who defend our nation and its allies by putting reliable capability in their hands when and where the mission demands it."

Modern conflict has shown that nations cannot surge industrial capability after a crisis begins. Yet many of the components required to build unmanned and robotic systems remain concentrated in foreign-controlled supply chains. The OSC financing would help expand domestic production of complete systems and the critical technologies and components required to build and sustain them.

"For more than a decade, the United States has been dependent on foreign technology and has lacked a domestic drone component ecosystem," said Matt Higgins, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of PDW. "This financing would allow us to build the components necessary for a thriving, sovereign dual-use drone industry and help to secure our nation's industrial future."

The Office of Strategic Capital's financing reflects a broader national effort to restore America's ability to build the critical technologies that will define the future of American security and industrial competitiveness. PDW is proud to help deliver that mission.

The conditional loan commitment between OSC and PDW specifies customary additional steps the company must take to proceed toward financial close on the loan, including fulfilling financial, legal, technical, due diligence, and other requirements.

About Performance Drone Works
Headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, Performance Drone Works (PDW) is an American defense technology company developing multi-mission aerial robotic systems and advanced manufacturing capabilities for defense, government, public safety, and allied customers. From Drone Factory 01, its integrated U.S. engineering and manufacturing headquarters, PDW is strengthening the domestic industrial base through resilient supply chains and the production of mission-critical technologies and components. Its systems are shaped by real-world deployments and built to perform under pressure, with a mission to put decisive airpower in the hands of every operator.

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SOURCE PDW