Press Releases : UAS

AeroVironment Receives $37.9 Million in Orders for Digital Raven Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Digital Retrofit Kits, Support Services

Orders Represent Initial Portion of Raven Funding from United States Department of Defense Fiscal 2010 Budget

MONROVIA, Calif., Feb. 23, 2010—AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (NASDAQ:AVAV) announced that it received firm fixed-price orders valued at $20,731,992 for digital Raven; unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and digital retrofit kits, and $17,141,648 for Raven system spare parts, repairs and training services for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. The Raven system and retrofit order represents a portion of the $121 million appropriated for RQ-11 Raven system procurement in the 2010 Department of Defense Appropriations Act, which was signed into law in December 2009.  The balance of government fiscal 2010 procurement funding that is anticipated to be converted into orders is proceeding through the procurement process.  Typically the organizations responsible for administering this program retain a portion of approved funding to pay for program expenses and government furnished equipment.

AeroVironment Receives $23.9 Million Order for Army and Marine Corps Digital Raven Systems and Digital Upgrade Kits

MONROVIA, Calif., Dec. 21, 2009 – AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (NASDAQ:AVAV) today announced that it received a $23,926,917 firm fixed-price order under an existing contract. This contract modification comprises digital Raven systems and kits to upgrade existing analog Raven® systems currently being used by the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps with AV’s digital data link.

AeroVironment’s Raven Small Unmanned Aircraft System Receives Military Aircraft Type-Classification Certificate from the Netherlands Military Aviation Authority Certification Permits Operation of Raven in Dutch National Airspace by the Military

MONROVIA, Calif., Nov. 3, 2009 - AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (NASDAQ: AVAV) today announced that the Military Aviation Authority of the Netherlands (MLA-NLD) has issued a Military Type Certificate (MTC) for the Raven® B NLD MUAS, the first such certificate issued in the Netherlands in the Micro-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle category. This certificate permits Dutch military personnel to operate Raven systems in designated Dutch airspace.

AV Achieves Technical Milestone: Controlled Hovering Flight of NAV UAS with Two Flapping Wings

MONROVIA, Calif., July 1, 2009 – AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (NASDAQ: AVAV) was awarded a Phase II contract extension in April from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to design and build a flying prototype for the Nano Air Vehicle (NAV) program.  As part of this program AV has accomplished a technical milestone never before achieved:  the controlled hovering flight of an air vehicle system with two flapping wings that carries its own energy source and uses only the flapping wings for propulsion and control.

MONROVIA, Calif., April 1, 2009 - The U.S. Army Product Manager for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS) and AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV) recently conducted a continuous 30-hour demonstration of persistent surveillance of a point target using AV’s RQ-11B Raven® small unmanned aircraft system. The demonstration at Camp Roberts, Calif. followed an inquiry from Pentagon officials regarding the potential for AV’s Raven small UAS to perform low-cost, tactically relevant persistent surveillance.

MONROVIA, Calif., Feb. 9, 2009 - AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (NASDAQ: AVAV) has received an order from the U.S. Army valued at $16,758,776 for the production of 50 new Raven® (RQ-11B) unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) equipped with AV’s Digital Data Link (DDL). Announced by the U.S. Army on January 22, 2009, this production order was issued under an existing contract and includes initial spares packages and DDL retrofit kits for 206 existing Raven® systems. The introduction of AV’s DDL follows several years of internally funded research and development in addition to a $7.6 million contract awarded in October 2008 for the completion of R&D activities.

MONROVIA, Calif., Feb. 4, 2009 - AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (NASDAQ: AVAV) today announced that the U.S. Army has ordered additional RQ-11B Raven® small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and associated services for its fiscal year 2009 requirements by the exercise of an option under an existing contract. Each Raven® system typically consists of three aircraft, two ground control stations, and spares. The aggregate order value is $41.7 million and is fully funded.

MONROVIA, Calif., Dec. 15, 2008 - AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (NASDAQ: AVAV) today announced that the General Directorate for Aircraft Weapon Systems (MoD - Italy) has issued a Military Aircraft Type-Classification Certificate for the Raven B unmanned aircraft system, the first such certificate issued in Italy in the Micro-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle category.  This certificate permits Italian military personnel to fly Raven in Italy’s national airspace.

MONROVIA, Calif., August 20, 2008 – AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (NASDAQ: AVAV) announces the receipt of $4.6 million in funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop a small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) capable of performing “hover/perch and stare” missions.  The Stealthy, Persistent, Perch and Stare (SP2S) UAS is based on AV’s small Wasp UAS, a one-pound, 29-inch wingspan battery-powered air vehicle that is being procured and deployed by both the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Marine Corps.

MONROVIA, Calif., July 2, 2008 - AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (NASDAQ; AVAV) today announced the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has selected Puma AE as its All Environment Capable Variant (AECV) solution to the Small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) requirement. The one-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, with four one-year options, has a maximum value of $200,000,000, and provides for the purchase of aircraft, ground control systems, spares, repairs and training under a combination firm fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost reimbursable arrangement. The initial delivery order is valued at $6 million and is fully funded.

MONROVIA, Calif., May 30, 2008 – AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (NASDAQ: AVAV) today announced that The Netherlands Ministry of Defence, acting through its Defense Materiel Organization (DMO), has awarded AV a contract for RQ-11B (Raven) small unmanned aircraft systems.  The order includes new aircraft systems as well as training, logistics support, and airworthiness certification.  Each Raven system typically consists of three aircraft, a ground control station, a remote video terminal, system spares, and related services.  The total award value is $7.7 million and is fully funded.

MONROVIA, Calif., March 6, 2008 – AeroVironment (AV) (NASDAQ:AVAV), a leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and efficient electric energy systems, today announced that it has flown its Puma small unmanned aircraft for over nine hours, powered by an onboard fuel cell battery hybrid energy storage system. This broke the previous announced Puma flight record of over seven hours.  A two-camera payload system provided a live, streaming video feed from the Puma, the largest of AV’s portfolio of small unmanned aircraft systems that also includes Raven and Wasp. The nine-hour flight duration more than triples the duration of Puma’s standard battery-only operation.

MONROVIA, Calif., Feb. 7, 2008 – AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (NASDAQ: AVAV), a leader in unmanned aircraft systems and efficient electric energy systems, today announced that the U.S. Army has ordered additional RQ-11B (Raven) small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and associated services by the exercise of an option under an existing contract.  Each Raven system typically consists of three aircraft, a ground control station, system spares, and related services.  The total award value is $45.8 million and is fully funded.

MONROVIA, Calif., Jan. 3, 2008 - AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (NASDAQ: AVAV), a leader in unmanned aircraft systems and efficient electric energy systems, today announced that the United States Air Force BATMAV (Battlefield Air Targeting Micro Air Vehicle) program has received Milestone C approval and authorization for Full Rate Production. The BATMAV program achieved these two significant milestones under the rigors of the United States Department of Defense 5000 Acquisition process in just over 11 months from contract award. The Air Force selected AV’s Wasp III as the micro air vehicle (MAV) for its BATMAV Program in December 2006.

MONROVIA, Calif., Sept. 26, 2007 – AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (NASDAQ:AVAV), a leader in unmanned aircraft systems and efficient electric energy systems, today announced that it has received a contract from the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) for the development and military utility assessment of its Global Observer unmanned aircraft system (UAS).  This contract initiates a Joint Capabilities Technology Demonstration, or JCTD.  The JCTD is sponsored by multiple U.S. government organizations.  The contract calls for the development of up to three Global Observer aircraft over the next three years to demonstrate the ability to operate in the stratosphere for up to 7 days without landing.  The basic contract, which will be funded under a cost-plus fixed-fee arrangement, provides for the development and delivery of the initial Global Observer aircraft, and is valued at approximately $57 million.  The contract also includes options for the development and delivery of up to two additional Global Observer aircraft, resulting in a potential contract value of $108 million.

Small man-portable reconnaissance drones are finally seeing action as the war on terrorism brings home ground troops’ need to see over the next hill.