APX is a hardened, reduced-SWaP autopilot and autonomy architecture, flight-demonstrated on fixed-wing, rotary-wing, hybrid VTOL and stratospheric aircraft. Crydon brings it to U.S. programs with integration, verification and lifecycle support — working with your C2, sensors, links and payloads rather than replacing them.
Most unmanned programs still mean months of platform-specific autopilot development, integration and test for every new airframe. APX takes the other path: one trusted control architecture adapted to radically different vehicles, so a new integration is measured in weeks to months.
APX integrates with existing command-and-control systems, sensors, communication links and customer-owned payloads rather than replacing a customer’s ecosystem. Crydon supports platform assessment, structured demonstration, integration, verification and lifecycle sustainment — through Other Transaction agreements under 10 U.S.C. §4022 and direct contracts.
A hardened, reduced-SWaP architecture designed for complex unmanned platforms — and for the integration and security discipline defense programs require.
Dedicated microcontrollers across the vehicle with layered mission, guidance and stabilization tiers — fault isolation, lower central processing load and safe degraded states.
Proprietary firmware — not open-source and not Pixhawk-derived — for controlled security updates, configuration accountability and a smaller public attack surface.
Multi-constellation GNSS, a tactical-grade IMU with sensor fusion and an AHRS independent of GNSS, for GPS-degraded, denied and spoofed conditions.
AES-256 encrypted command and telemetry with frequency-hopping spread spectrum across LOS, LTE and satellite links — including third-party datalinks such as pMDDL.
An onboard virtual machine runs custom mission logic without modifying flight-critical firmware.
Open payload buses and SDK-based extensions for EO/IR, SAR, SIGINT, EW, communications relay and customer-owned payloads.
The capability baseline APX brings to an integration.
APX has flown on platforms from compact UAS to stratospheric aircraft and heavy-lift helicopters converted from piloted airframes.
Autonomous control above 111,000 ft in near-space conditions
Continuous stratospheric operation, day–night solar energy management, 5G connectivity demonstration
Manned-to-unmanned conversion — autonomous takeoff and landing, networked remote control, autorotation
Fully autonomous taxi, takeoff and landing under SATCOM with redundant avionics
Distributed avionics with triple redundancy
Compact autopilot with advanced vibration management
Coordinated autonomy and swarm flight control
Precision control in demanding flight regimes, including GNSS-denied and spoofed conditions
Platforms shown are UAVOS engineering heritage, not Crydon products. About our heritage
Crydon is the U.S. contracting, integration, verification and lifecycle-sustainment interface for APX.
Platform assessment against mission requirements, interfaces and constraints — what APX must integrate with, and what it should leave in place.
Interface definition through installation — flight controls, C2, sensors, datalinks and payloads brought onto one autonomy core.
SITL and HITL validation, then structured flight demonstration, with evidence captured against the agreed requirements.
Lifecycle support — maintenance, configuration-controlled updates, diagnostics and field support.
Tell us about the airframe, the C2 environment and the mission. We'll come back with an integration and demonstration approach.
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