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03/30/2026
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Mission Specialist Wraith Signals AeroVironment’s Next Step in Compact Unmanned Underwater Systems Capability
01/13/2026
POTTSTOWN, PA — (January 13, 2026) — AeroVironment Inc. (“AV”) (NASDAQ: AVAV), a leading provider of all domain autonomous systems, today announced the launch of the Mission Specialist Wraith, the newest addition to the Mission Specialist Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) series developed by its wholly owned subsidiary, VideoRay. Designed for demanding subsea operations, Wraith delivers a new level of agility, power, and control in a compact, expeditionary-ready platform.
Engineered for extreme agility and precision in challenging subsea environments, Wraith delivers true six-degree-of-freedom maneuverability through 10 vectored thrusters, allowing it to hold any attitude—vertical, inverted, or fully rolled—while maintaining stability, power, and control in strong currents and at depth. The platform supports a wide range of payloads, including advanced imaging, navigation, and manipulation tools, making it well suited for subsea inspection, defense, and scientific missions.
“Modern operations increasingly depend on access, awareness, and freedom of maneuver below the surface,” said Chris Gibson, Chief Executive Officer at VideoRay. “Wraith gives forces a compact, rapidly deployable system that delivers the precision and control once reserved for much larger vehicles, helping operators extend reach, reduce risk to personnel, and respond faster in complex maritime environments. It expands what compact UUVs can achieve while improving overall mission efficiency.”
Built on VideoRay’s proven open-architecture Mission Specialist design philosophy, Wraith enables rapid reconfiguration, seamless third-party integration, and simplified field serviceability. With up to 80 pounds of forward thrust and simultaneous lift, the platform enables rapid direct-to-target transit and precise station-keeping, even in high-current environments.
The newly released Mission Specialist Wraith Expeditionary configuration marks the first step in a planned spiral development for the product. Future iterations will expand depth capability, payload capacity, endurance, and system flexibility, ensuring the Wraith platform continues to evolve alongside customer requirements and emerging technologies.
Details regarding VideoRay’s Mission Specialist Wraith are available at:
https://videoray.com/products/mission-specialist-wraith
News
AeroVironment Awarded $4.8 million Contract for ROVs to support U.S. Coast Guard Modernization Plan
12/11/2025
POTTSTOWN, PA – December 11, 2025 — AeroVironment, Inc. (“AV”) (NASDAQ: AVAV), a leading provider of underwater robotic systems, today announced it has been awarded a $4.8 million United States Coast Guard contract through its wholly owned subsidiary, VideoRay, to deliver Mission Specialist Defender remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) as part of the Service’s Force Design 2028 modernization initiative.
The Defender will enhance the Coast Guard’s maritime response capabilities by enabling rapid underwater inspections, pier inspections, hull assessments, subsurface infrastructure surveys, disaster response and search and rescue operations in challenging environments—reducing diver risk while increasing mission safety, operational efficiency, and fleet readiness.
“The selection of the Mission Specialist Defender reinforces our ability to deliver proven technology to address the most demanding defense and security missions,” said Chris Gibson, Chief Executive Officer at VideoRay. “Customers have come to depend on VideoRay when failure is not an option. As AV’s maritime pillar, we’re proud to contribute to the organization’s all-domain uncrewed systems strategy to ensure the safety and security of our forces.”
As part of Force Design 2028, the Coast Guard established the Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Program Executive Office to rapidly integrate unmanned and robotic technologies across all missions, including investments in robotics and autonomous systems designed to build a more agile, technology-enabled, and globally ready force for the evolving maritime domain.
AV’s $4.8 million award—the largest award of the $11 million executed in fiscal year 2025 for rapid autonomous fleet upgrades—will strengthen Coast Guard operations with proven, advanced maritime robotics. The selection of the Mission Specialist Defender builds on the company’s expanding track record with U.S. and allied defense customers, including the Navy’s Maritime Expeditionary Standoff Response (MESR) program.
“These unmanned systems provide increased domain awareness, mitigating risk and enhancing mission success as the Coast Guard continues to operate in hazardous environments,” said Anthony Antognoli, the Coast Guard’s first RAS program executive officer, in a separate release issued by the U.S. Coast Guard in September 2025. “The Coast Guard’s mission demands agility, awareness and adaptability. Robotics and autonomous systems deliver all three, enabling us to respond faster, operate smarter and extend our reach where it matters most. We are not waiting for the future to arrive. We are delivering it to the fleet today.”
Built on a modular, open-architecture design, the Mission Specialist Defender allows operators to easily integrate advanced sensors, manipulators, and specialized payloads. This flexibility ensures adaptability to evolving mission requirements, while field-swappable modules enable on-site maintenance and repairs—minimizing downtime and maintaining operational tempo.
Details regarding the Mission Specialist Defender can be found at: https://videoray.com/products/mission-specialist-defender