Rapid Drone Logo
Request Brief

See more. Respond Faster.

AUTONOMOUS AERIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR MISSION-CRITICAL OPERATIONS

Rapid Drone equips law enforcement, state and federal agencies, critical infrastructure operators, and protective teams with persistent aerial coverage, rapid redeployment, and real-time situational awareness — built on a U.S.-controlled, NDAA-compliant platform.

Request Capabilities Brief
Schedule Operational Demo
Starling Pathfinder-X fixed-wing eVTOL on the Starling Hub autonomous ground station, in Rapid Drone copper livery

eVTOL

VERTICAL LAUNCH · FIXED-WING RANGE

NDAA

COMPLIANT · U.S.-CONTROLLED SUPPLY

24/7

24/7 — PERSISTENT ON-STATION COVERAGE

6

MISSION MARKETS SERVED

as featured in

AZ Big Media Logo
Associated Press Logo
MarketWatch Logo
inBusiness Logo
Free Digital Press Logo

The Mission

BUILT FOR AGENCIES THAT CANNOT AFFORD BLIND SPOTS

Operational environments are growing more complex and unpredictable, while the distances and terrain agencies must cover keep expanding. Rapid Drone delivers a persistent aerial intelligence layer — letting agencies monitor, assess, and respond with speed and precision across large jurisdictions and challenging ground.

You're not buying drones. You're buying situational awareness and operational advantage — and that's exactly what we field.

The Platform

ONE PROVIDER. THE RIGHT AIRCRAFT FOR EVERY MISSION.

No single airframe is right for every operation. Rapid Drone fields a multi-platform fleet and matches the aircraft to the mission — anchored by our own long-range platform and backed by the most trusted compliant multirotors in the market.

ANCHOR PLATFORM · LONG-RANGE & PERSISTENT

STARLING PATHFINDER-X + STARLING HUB

A fixed-wing eVTOL paired with the Starling Hub autonomous battery-swap ground station. Vertical launch and recovery from a compact footprint, fixed-wing range and endurance once airborne, and autonomous battery swaps that keep an asset on station with minimal ground crew. Coverage and response figures are calculated on the platform’s 60 mph average response speed — so ring radius in miles equals response time in minutes, and the numbers hold up under scrutiny.
VERTICAL LAUNCH / RECOVERY
FIXED-WING RANGE
AUTONOMOUS BATTERY SWAP
WIDE-AREA COVERAGE
NDAA-COMPLIANT PLATFORM
SKYDIO X10
OUTDOOR TACTICAL · INSPECTION
BLUE UAS

Highly autonomous platform for outdoor tactical operations, exterior overwatch, and detailed inspection — fielded with both modular sensor packages to match the mission:

VT300-Z (zoom / standoff): 64 MP narrow + 48 MP telephoto (≈128× system zoom) with a FLIR Boson+ radiometric thermal sensor — built for DFR, extended overwatch, subject search and tracking, and long-range reconnaissance.

VT300-L (lowlight / wide): 50 MP wide + 64 MP narrow with FLIR Boson+ thermal and an integrated LED light — built for inspection, mapping, and short-standoff work in low light.

Modular attachments: four mounting areas supporting RTK/PPK (centimeter-grade mapping), spotlight, speaker, parachute, and additional payloads — plus NightSense for zero-light flight.

SKYDIO R10
INDOOR · CONFINED-SPACE
BLUE UAS

U.S.-built indoor platform for confined and GPS-denied spaces — clearing structures, alarm calls, and building searches before personnel enter. NightSense zero-light flight, onboard lighting, and integrated speaker and microphon. Pairs with the X10: R10 clears the interior while the X10 holds exterior overwatch.

FREEFLY ASTRO MAX
MAPPING · SURVEY
BLUE UAS
Heavier-payload multirotor for mapping, survey, and high-resolution inspection across infrastructure and operational sites.
PARROT ANAFI USA (GOV/MIL)
COMPACT · THERMAL
BLUE UAS
U.S.-built (Boston, MA), NDAA & TAA compliant, Blue UAS Cleared. Compact rapid-deploy platform with integrated thermal and zoom sensors for fast field response.
THE COMPLIANCE THROUGH-LINE
Every platform we field is U.S.-built and Blue UAS Cleared, or built on a U.S.-controlled, NDAA-compliant supply chain.

Capabilities

MISSION-READY AERIAL COVERAGE

Real capability. Field-proven workflow.

⚡

RAPID DEPLOYMENT

Vertical launch in minutes for active or evolving situations, from a footprint that fits where you operate.

🛰️

PERSISTENT PATROL & OVERWATCH

Autonomous battery swaps via the Starling Hub keep an asset on station for continuous on-station coverage of borders, corridors, and large jurisdictions — with minimal crew burden and no rotation gap

📡

REAL-TIME COMMAND FEED

Live video and telemetry streamed to your command center for immediate situational awareness.

🗺️

WIDE-AREA COVERAGE

Fixed-wing range covers ground that rotary platforms and ground units can’t reach in time.

🎞️

POST-MISSION REVIEW

Mission playback, mapping, and reporting for operational review, after-action analysis, and training.

🔧

MANAGED SERVICE OPTIONS

Drone-as-a-service models that put capability in the field without the burden of building an in-house program from scratch.

MISSION MARKETS

DESIGNED FOR REAL-WORLD OPERATIONS

Six markets, one accountable provider — each with mission profiles built around the aircraft best suited to the work.

🚔 LAW ENFORCEMENT

  • Active incident monitoring
  • Search and coordination support
  • Large-area coverage during operations

🏛️ STATE AGENCIES

  • State police & DPS: patrol support, incident response, and pursuit awareness
  • Transportation & DOT: corridor monitoring, traffic incident management, infrastructure inspection
  • Emergency management & forestry: disaster assessment, wildfire mapping, resource coordination

🛡️ BORDER & PERIMETER SECURITY

  • Wide-area surveillance and patrol
  • Detection of unusual movement patterns
  • Persistent monitoring of remote terrain

🦅 DEFENSE & FEDERAL SUPPORT

  • Perimeter monitoring
  • Forward observation support
  • Operational intelligence augmentation

👤 EXECUTIVE & PERSONAL PROTECTION

  • Low-profile aerial overwatch around a principal or detail
  • Advance route and venue reconnaissance
  • Estate and residence perimeter monitoring
  • Discreet, rapid eyes-on without expanding the ground footprint

⚡ CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE & UTILITIES

Energy and utility operators face thousands of miles of distributed assets that are slow and costly to inspect by ground or crewed aircraft.
  • Aerial inspection of transmission lines, substations, pipelines, and water infrastructure
  • Rapid post-event damage assessment across large service territories
  • Security overwatch of remote and unmanned sites
  • Routine monitoring without putting crews in hazardous or hard-to-reach locations

COUNTER-UAS DETECTION

KNOW WHAT'S IN YOUR AIRSPACE

Rapid Drone doesn't just put aircraft overhead — we detect the ones that shouldn't be there.
Unauthorized drones are a growing threat over events, facilities, borders, and sensitive sites. Rapid Drone provides passive airspace awareness — detecting, tracking, and identifying drone activity so your team knows what’s flying, where, and when, in time to respond. Our detection layer is passive and non-emitting: it listens rather than transmits, so it raises no spectrum or interference concerns and integrates cleanly alongside ongoing operations.

STATE-OF-THE-ART · ACOUSTIC

ACOUSTIC DRONE DETECTION

Purpose-built acoustic sensing identifies and tracks drones by their distinct sound signature — no radar, no radio emissions, no active transmission. It works where other methods struggle: against drones flying low, slow, dark, or in radio-quiet modes that defeat RF-only systems.
  • Passive & non-emitting — listens only, no spectrum use or interference
  • Detects RF-silent threats — catches autonomous and radio-quiet drones
  • Real-time alerting — detection, tracking, and identification feeding your team
  • Site-flexible — fixed installations or rapid deployment for events and temporary perimeters

FORCE MULTIPLIER

WHAT CHANGES WHEN YOU HAVE EYES ABOVE

Aerial intelligence doesn’t replace your people — it changes what they can see, decide, and do. Here’s the difference it makes on the ground.

WITHOUT AERIAL COVERAGE

Ground-Level Reality

  • Visibility limited to what's in front of the officer
  • Minutes — sometimes longer — between an incident and a clear picture
  • Resource decisions made on partial information
  • Overwatch capped by crew fatigue and aircraft availability
  • Officers approaching unknown scenes without advance look

With Rapid Drone

The View From Above

  • Visual reach extended well beyond the ground line of sight
  • Real-time aerial feed in command, the moment it's needed
  • Resource allocation informed by a full operational picture
  • Persistent on-station coverage — minimal crew burden, no rotation gap
  • Officers and personnel moving with advance knowledge of the scene

Same people. Same mission. Decisively better information.

COMPLIANCE & TRUST

PROCUREMENT-READY BY DESIGN

For this market, compliance isn’t a feature — it’s the price of entry. Rapid Drone is built to meet agency and federal procurement requirements from the ground up.

CAGE 17C14 | UEI TB6GMZ81MHJ8

REGISTERED & READY FOR FEDERAL CONTRACTING

  • NDAA-compliant, U.S.-controlled supply chain
  • Blue UAS qualification in process
  • Fielded multirotors are Blue UAS Cleared
  • No FCC Covered List exposure
  • Secure data handling and transmission
  • FAA-certified pilots, agency-governed operations

Capability with Accountability

POWERFUL TOOLS, RESPONSIBLY OPERATED

Aerial intelligence is only as trusted as the principles behind it. Rapid Drone operates in a way that respects civil liberties and earns the confidence of the communities our customers serve.
LAWFUL & REGULATED OPERATIONS

Every flight is conducted under FAA regulations and the policies of the agency we support, flown by FAA-certified pilots operating within their legal authority.

PURPOSE-LIMITED DATA

Imagery and data are collected for authorized mission purposes — not indiscriminate or persistent monitoring of private individuals absent a lawful basis.

AGENCY-GOVERNED RETENTION

Data handling, retention, and access follow the customer agency's own policies and applicable law, with secure storage and transmission throughout.

TRANSPARENCY & OVERSIGHT

We support our customers' accountability to the public —including transparency, audit, and oversight requirements that govern how programs are run.

Rapid Drone is committed to deploying advanced capability in a manner that protects both public safety and individual liberty.

OUR STORY

BUILT ON SERVICE, POWERED BY INNOVATION

Rapid Drone was founded to bring dependable, high-performance aerial intelligence to the agencies and organizations that protect communities and critical infrastructure. We are a drone services and intelligence provider — not a manufacturer — designing, operating, and managing mission-ready programs end to end.

That mission grew directly out of decades spent supporting first responders and building at scale. It shapes everything we field: technology that strengthens the people doing life-saving work, on a U.S.-controlled, NDAA-compliant footing.

GREG STEINHAUER

FOUNDER & PRESIDENT

More than 40 years in construction and real estate development, with over $2 billion in projects deployed nationwide. Decades on the job site gave him firsthand insight into safety, efficiency, and situational awareness — and the conviction that aerial intelligence could transform how operations are run. He served 12 years on the board of the Seattle Police Foundation, two as Chairman.
DEBBIE STEINHAUER

CO-FOUNDER

A longtime champion of first responders, Debbie founded the Seattle Fire Foundation, the Scottsdale Police Foundation, and the Scottsdale Fire Foundation. Her decades of advocacy forged lasting relationships with police, fire, and emergency teams across the country — and instilled the respect for their work that became the company’s mission.
DAVID RIETZ

CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF DRONE OFFICER

A lifelong aviator whose passion for flight began in the RC world as a teenager, building replica aircraft alongside his grandfather. As UAV technology evolved, he grew with it — amassing more than 20 years of expertise across hardware engineering, software systems, and thousands of hours of flight time. His technical mastery forms the operational backbone of Rapid Drone.

Leadership Team

CAPTAIN CARTER HARRINGTON

CHIEF OF FLIGHT SAFETY

More than 45 years of aviation experience spanning military, commercial, and regulatory operations. He began as a U.S. Navy Light Attack Aviator flying A-7 Corsair aircraft from carriers, logging over 2,000 flight hours in five aircraft types and earning Top Gun and Tailhook honors. He went on to a commercial career trained by former WWII Flying Tigers pilots, accumulating more than 33,000 flight hours across 11 aircraft types including the DC-8, Boeing 727, Boeing 747, MD-10, and MD-11. A former FedEx Line Check Airman, Standards Check Airman, and FAA Designee, Carter sets the standard for Rapid Drone’s training, operational standards, and flight safety.
MICHELLE SPILLMAN

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR

A trusted member of the team working with the principals for over 15 years, bringing extensive experience in contract administration, human resources, accounting, and payroll. As Rapid Drone’s Contract Administrator, she ensures compliance, accuracy, and efficiency across all agreements and internal processes. Her deep institutional knowledge, attention to detail, and cross-functional expertise make her a vital contributor to Rapid Drone’s growth and operational success.

board of advisors

GUIDED BY OPERATIONAL LEADERSHIP

Rapid Drone is advised by senior leaders from law enforcement, fire service, and military aviation — bringing decades of real-world command experience to how we build and deploy.
GERARD BAILEY

SUPERINTENDENT, BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT (RETIRED)

Gerard Bailey retired as Superintendent of the Boston Police Department’s Bureau of Field Services, where he commanded the city’s uniformed branch of more than 1,500 officers. In this role, he directed patrol operations, public safety strategy, and frontline standards across Boston’s neighborhoods. Recognized for his leadership and operational rigor, Gerard’s career reflects a distinguished commitment to law enforcement excellence and community trust.
CHIEF CARMEN BEST

SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT (RETIRED)

A nationally recognized public safety and security leader with more than 30 years of experience at the intersection of law enforcement, technology, and risk management. She served as Chief of the Seattle Police Department from 2018 to 2020, following a 26-year career rising through every rank and leading patrol, investigations, and specialized units. She later served as Director of Global Security Risk Operations at Microsoft, overseeing global risk and crisis management. She served on the IACP Board, is a member of NOBLE, a World Police Summit presenter, and an Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipient.
CHIEF HAROLD D. SCOGGINS

SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT

Harold Scoggins has served as Fire Chief of the Seattle Fire Department since 2015, leading one of the nation’s most respected municipal fire agencies. He began his career as a U.S. Air Force firefighter, then spent 26 years with the Glendale Fire Department, rising through the ranks to become Fire Chief in 2008. With more than three decades of service, advanced degrees in public administration, and a reputation for operational excellence, Chief Scoggins is recognized for his commitment to training, standards, and community safety.
CAPTAIN STEVE THOMPSON

U.S. AIR FORCE (RETIRED)

Captain Steve Thompson retired from the United States Air Force after a distinguished career in aviation and technical operations. With extensive experience in leadership and mission execution, he transitioned into the network technology sector, applying his expertise in systems management and operational security. Today, Steve is recognized for blending military discipline with advanced technical proficiency, ensuring resilient and innovative solutions in the digital domain.

FREQUENTLY ASKED

QUESTIONS AGENCIES ASK

Is Rapid Drone's equipment NDAA-compliant?
Yes. Our fleet is built on a U.S.-controlled, NDAA-compliant supply chain. The multirotor platforms we field are Blue UAS Cleared, and the Pathfinder-X is built on a U.S.-controlled supply chain with no foreign-controlled hardware and no FCC Covered List exposure. We’re happy to walk procurement teams through specifics for their requirements.
We’re a drone services and intelligence provider — not a manufacturer. We design, operate, and manage end-to-end programs, from flight operations and data capture through analysis and integration. We also offer managed-service models so agencies can field capability without building an in-house program from scratch.
Yes. Our pilots are FAA-certified and operate in strict adherence to all federal, state, and local regulations. Flight safety and regulatory compliance are led by our Chief of Flight Safety, a veteran aviator with decades of operational and check-airman experience.

It pairs vertical launch and recovery with fixed-wing range and endurance, and the Starling Hub ground station performs autonomous battery swaps to keep an asset on station with minimal crew burden and no rotation gap. That means persistent, wide-area coverage across distances and terrain that rotary platforms and ground units can’t reach in time.

Our detection and operations layer is built around secure data handling and transmission, designed to meet agency and federal procurement requirements. We tailor data-handling, retention, and integration to each agency’s policies and command-center environment.

Law enforcement, state agencies, border and perimeter security, defense and federal support, critical infrastructure and utilities, and executive and personal protection — plus passive counter-UAS acoustic detection. We match the platform to the mission across each.

GET IN TOUCH

REQUEST A CAPABILITIES BRIEF

Tell us about your mission and we’ll follow up to schedule a briefing or operational demonstration tailored to your jurisdiction, terrain, and requirements.

Phone

(602) 669-5192

Email

info@rapid-drone.com

Office

5301 S. Superstition Mtn Drive
Ste 104-261
Gold Canyon, AZ 85118

"*" indicates required fields

Name*

ADVANCE YOUR CAPABILITIES

EQUIP YOUR AGENCY FOR REAL-WORLD MISSIONS

Request a capabilities brief or schedule an operational demonstration. We’ll show you exactly how autonomous aerial intelligence fits your jurisdiction, your terrain, and your mission.

Request Capabilities Brief
CALL (602) 669-5192
GOLD CANYON, ARIZONA · NATIONWIDE DEPLOYMENT · INFO@RAPID-DRONE.COM