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Thought Leadership
Three Questions About the Future of AI in Defense, Thoughts from the AI lead at AV’s Innovation Center
10/28/2025
By Zarinah Casanova, AI Lead for AV’s Innovation Center
Artificial intelligence has entered our daily lives—but on the battlefield, its role carries life-and-death consequences. That shift from everyday convenience to mission-critical responsibility is where my work begins.
For the past two decades, I’ve worked across cloud analytics, data science, and machine learning operations. Today, I lead AV’s Innovation Center in Annapolis Junction, Maryland, where we’re developing next-generation AI to keep our country safe. My own journey—from a high school work-study student to helping grow our lab from a single computer into a full data center—has reinforced a simple truth: in defense, AI is about responsibility. Systems must be reliable, explainable, and resilient because lives and missions depend on them.
The future of defense AI won’t be built by one person or one lab. It will come from collaboration across disciplines, communities, and nations. And as the technology races ahead, we have to stop and ask the toughest questions—the ones that will define whether AI strengthens our defenses or puts them at risk. AV’s Innovation Center was built for answers and there are three high-priority questions we’re working to address every day:
1. As national security missions grapple with the challenge of processing massive amounts of data, how can cutting-edge AI innovations be harnessed to make timely and impactful decisions?
Our missions are becoming more data-hungry, making breakthroughs in data collection, cleaning, and processing for AI an operational imperative. The traditional, time-consuming method of collecting all data and returning it to a central source for processing is no longer viable. By the time the data is ingested, the window for actionable intelligence has often passed. This inefficiency highlights the critical importance of decentralized, real-time data processing.
We are shifting towards architectures where processing and intelligence occur at the edge. This evolution involves deploying AI on low-resource or non-specialized hardware and utilizing it to process diverse raw data streams, such as those from sensors and network traffic, directly on site. The AV Innovation Center is on the cutting edge of this transformation, actively developing and testing these edge AI solutions to ensure timely and potentially autonomous actions in reaction to observations.
Additionally, innovative methods for data processing are essential. In our lab, we have prototyped an AI-driven data normalization process that automates the handling of rapidly changing data. This innovation addresses the ongoing struggle to keep pace with the ever-changing data landscape. The future of AI in defense hinges on these advancements, driving towards a paradigm of scalable, efficient, and real-time data processing that meets mission-critical needs with precision and speed.
2. In the next five years, how far can we push AI at the edge—running on drones, satellites, or sensors in contested environments?
We’re actively working to translate the remarkable advances in artificial intelligence, particularly the reasoning and analytical capabilities demonstrated by large language models, into practical applications at the edge. While these publicly available Large Language Models (LLMs) are impressive, their size and general-purpose training present two key hurdles for deployment at the edge. First, their resource demands are often prohibitive for edge devices, and reliable network connectivity can’t be guaranteed. Second, they lack the specialized domain expertise necessary to interpret raw sensor data or contribute to real-time tactical decision-making.
The AV Innovation Center is focused on addressing these challenges by dramatically reducing model size while simultaneously ‘teaching’ those models to natively understand raw sensor data, recognize critical patterns, and enable proactive decision-making. In the next five years, this will lead to a significant leap in autonomous edge capabilities, enabling platforms to make complex, context-aware decisions in the most challenging environments.
3. How do we ensure that Autonomous AI systems behave as expected and remain responsible in critical scenarios?
Building autonomous AI for defense carries a significant responsibility, one we don’t take lightly. We proactively design for safety through monitoring and traceability right from the start. We also build in layers of oversight to keep the AI in check, ensuring it operates as intended. These factors are integral to our development process, ensuring our systems are transparent and accountable.
We establish evaluation frameworks early in the development process to rigorously assess safe operation of our AI systems. To support this, we engage with an AI review board composed of technical, legal, and compliance experts. This diverse oversight provides critical perspectives and helps us navigate complex challenges related to safe and responsible deployment.
These questions are not easy to solve – nor should they be. AV’s Innovation Center works to answer these questions by fostering a culture that welcomes critical thinking, especially when it comes to responsible innovation. We’re looking for people who are not only brilliant engineers but also deeply committed to building AI systems that operate reliably and as intended. By integrating these principles into our innovation process, we aim to develop AI systems that are both cutting-edge and responsible. If this sounds like you, explore opportunities and join me at AV as we ask – and answer – the questions most critical to protecting our nation.
ABOUT AV — JOINING THE MISSION
AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best.
We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve.
Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next.
If you’re ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there’s no better place to do it than AV.
Press Release
AV Awarded U.S. Army RCCTO Contract for Kinesis, Named Lead Software & Systems Integrator for HMIF
09/29/2025
ARLINGTON, Va., September 29, 2025 –AeroVironment, Inc. (“AV”) (NASDAQ: AVAV) today announced a contract award from the U.S. Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) for its tactical mission planning and command and control (C2) software for the Human-Machine Integrated Formations (HMIF) Increment 1 program.
HMIF accelerates the fielding of robotic formations to leverage machines to offload risk and provides Soldiers with additional information for decision-making for armored and infantry formations. Each formation will include ground and air systems and enablers to aid in the human decision-making process to find, fix, and engage enemy targets. HMIF prototype development supports existing and future robotic programs of record by mitigating risk associated with enabling capabilities such as the common architecture, communications and networking.
AV’s software solution, Kinesis, will provide a unified interface to meet the needs of HMIF for mission planning, tactical awareness, autonomy management, and payload control to simplify complex operations and accelerate mission capabilities with unmatched scale and speed.
“AV’s Kinesis software is a true force multiplier that allows a single tactical operator to control a mixed fleet of autonomous systems developed by multiple OEMs, transforming military operations and accelerating our combat readiness,” said Jason Hendrix, AV Vice President and General Manager. “By leveraging the simplicity and scalability of our open and modular software ecosystem, RCCTO is developing HMIF for ultimate mission flexibility–helping warfighters quickly, easily, and safely carry out autonomous missions across domains.”
Trace Stevenson, President of Autonomous Systems at AV, added: “We are delivering superior autonomous solutions to warfighters, not just through our trusted and proven platforms but with our advanced controllers and software capabilities that simplify sophisticated operations, augment force capacity, and drive mission outcomes. Together with U.S. Army RCCTO and an incredible team of industry partners, we are pushing the boundaries of the possible in multi-domain operations.”
Kinesis provides interoperability across tactical C2 platforms, including TAK/ATAK. Its built-in Software Developers Kit creates a collaborative development environment for expanded modularity and integrations of third-party software. To support the HMIF program’s software needs, AV is leveraging strategic partnerships with industry leading expertise from Applied Research Associates’ Neya Systems, Parry Labs, and QinetiQ. The team’s collective capabilities will provide robust solutions that offer unmatched operational efficiency and deliver a comprehensive solution for the U.S. Army’s HMIF requirements.
About AV
AV (NASDAQ: AVAV) is a defense technology leader delivering integrated capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. The Company develops and deploys autonomous systems, loitering munitions, counter-UAS technologies, space-based platforms, directed energy systems, and cyber and electronic warfare capabilities—built to meet the mission needs of today’s warfighter and tomorrow’s conflicts. At the core of these technologies lies AV_Halo, a modular, mission-ready suite of AI-powered software tools that empowers warfighters and enables full-battlefield dominance: detect, decide, deliver. With a national manufacturing footprint and a deep innovation pipeline, AV delivers proven systems and future-defining capabilities at speed, scale, and operational relevance. For more information, visit www.avinc.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are made on the basis of current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, economic, competitive, governmental and technological factors outside of our control, that may cause our business, strategy or actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, our ability to perform under existing contracts and obtain additional contracts; changes in the regulatory environment; the activities of competitors; failure of the markets in which we operate to grow; failure to expand into new markets; failure to develop new products or integrate new technology with current products; and general economic and business conditions in the United States and elsewhere in the world. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not intend, and undertake no obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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About AeroVironment, Inc.
AeroVironment (“AV”) (NASDAQ: AVAV) is a defense technology leader delivering integrated capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. The Company develops and deploys autonomous systems, loitering munitions, counter-UAS technologies, space-based platforms, directed energy systems, and cyber and electronic warfare capabilities—built to meet the mission needs of today’s warfighter and tomorrow’s conflicts. At the core of these technologies lies AV_Halo, a modular, mission-ready suite of AI-powered software tools that empowers warfighters and enables full-battlefield dominance: detect, decide, deliver. With a national manufacturing footprint and a deep innovation pipeline, AV delivers proven systems and future-defining capabilities at speed, scale, and operational relevance. For more information, visit www.avinc.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are made on the basis of current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, economic, competitive, governmental and technological factors outside of our control, that may cause our business, strategy or actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, our ability to perform under existing contracts and obtain additional contracts; changes in the regulatory environment; the activities of competitors; failure of the markets in which we operate to grow; failure to expand into new markets; failure to develop new products or integrate new technology with current products; and general economic and business conditions in the United States and elsewhere in the world. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not intend, and undertake no obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Contact:
AeroVironment
+1.703.418.2828
pr@avinc.com
Capabilities
Solutions
Press Release
AV Expands Presence in Europe with New UK Office, Coproduction Agreement to Support Defence Market
09/10/2025
LONDON, England, September 10, 2025 – AeroVironment, Inc. (“AV”) (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in all-domain uncrewed systems and defence technologies, today announced the opening of its new office in Hereford, United Kingdom. The facility is strategically located to bring the full spectrum of the company’s capabilities to the UK and European defence markets, extending AV’s global operations.
The new location will host a diverse team representing various AV product lines, including Tomahawk Ground Control Systems (GCS), small uncrewed aircraft systems (sUAS), medium uncrewed aircraft systems (MUAS), and ground-based systems. The specialized team will focus on driving innovation, providing operational support, and strengthening AV’s growing regional presence.
“We are intentionally investing and expanding in the UK to strengthen our global network and better collaborate with our key European defence customers–all with a mission of driving innovative, next-generation solutions to our warfighters and allies,” said Trace Stevenson, president of Autonomous Systems at AV. “From our Tomahawk GCS to our industry-leading precision strike and defensive systems, AV’s cutting-edge, integrated, reliable, and agile solutions are meeting the evolving needs of our customers worldwide.”
In addition to opening its new facility, AV is announcing a coproduction agreement with TIA Group to begin UK-based manufacturing operations. Located in Aerotech Business Park in Cheltenham, England, TIA will produce AV’s Tomahawk GCS Grip 23 TE controller – a rugged human-machine integrated controller for all-domain uncrewed operations and situational awareness for diverse missions. TIA is an experienced mechanical and electronic manufacturer with proven success in delivering specialized solutions to the UK Government, UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), and NATO customers.
“TIA Group is proud to have established a strong partnership with AV, positioning us to fully support their expansion into the UK and regional markets,” said David G. Watson MBE, Managing Director of TIA Group. “This significant collaboration milestone will broaden AV’s reach and enable the delivery of a responsive, first-class service, providing best-in-class AV products to UKMOD, our European partners, and allied nations. By leveraging TIA Group’s expertise in design, development, and manufacturing here in the UK, we will continue to provide customers worldwide with the agility and innovation they need.”
“Our expansion across the UK not only cements the Tomahawk Grip as a cornerstone for our growth in regional markets but also enhances our ability to deliver the broader family of AV systems to our global allies with scale and speed,” said Jason Hendrix, AV’s vice president and general manager of Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems. “Through strong partnerships with industry leaders like TIA and key customers like the UK MOD and other NATO allies, we are establishing a foundation for future expansion to meet the evolving needs of the global defence industry.”
About AeroVironment, Inc.
AeroVironment (“AV”) (NASDAQ: AVAV) is a defense technology leader delivering integrated capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. The Company develops and deploys autonomous systems, loitering munitions, counter-UAS technologies, space-based platforms, directed energy systems, and cyber and electronic warfare capabilities—built to meet the mission needs of today’s warfighter and tomorrow’s conflicts. At the core of these technologies lies AV_Halo, a modular, mission-ready suite of AI-powered software tools that empowers warfighters and enables full-battlefield dominance: detect, decide, deliver. With a national manufacturing footprint and a deep innovation pipeline, AV delivers proven systems and future-defining capabilities at speed, scale, and operational relevance. For more information, visit www.avinc.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are made on the basis of current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, economic, competitive, governmental and technological factors outside of our control, that may cause our business, strategy or actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, our ability to perform under existing contracts and obtain additional contracts; changes in the regulatory environment; the activities of competitors; failure of the markets in which we operate to grow; failure to expand into new markets; failure to develop new products or integrate new technology with current products; and general economic and business conditions in the United States and elsewhere in the world. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not intend, and undertake no obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Contact:
AeroVironment
+1.703.418.2828
pr@avinc.com
Press Release
AV Announces AV_Halo™ Unified Software Platform for Next-Gen Operational Advantage
09/04/2025
ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 4, 2025 – AeroVironment, Inc. (“AV”) (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global defense technology leader delivering software-enabled disruptive autonomous systems, today announced AV_Halo™, a hardware-agnostic software platform that unifies the company’s suite of mission-ready software tools — to include multi-domain command and control (C2), AI-enhanced intelligence analysis, synthetic training, and autonomous targeting — into a single open-standards software ecosystem capable of integrating with any other battle management systems. AV_Halo provides a modular, mission-ready suite of AI-powered software tools that empowers warfighters to dominate the mission–across air, land, sea, space and cyber domains.
“In today’s rapidly evolving operational environment, speed, autonomy, modularity, and interoperability are non-negotiable,” said Wahid Nawabi, AV Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer. “With edge intelligence, mission autonomy and dynamic C2, we will build upon our unique ability to carry out maneuver warfare in the age of drones dominance. AV_Halo is designed for the battlefield of tomorrow–empowering warfighters to seamlessly command diverse crewed and uncrewed assets across domains and make better decisions faster to reduce risk to human life.”
AV’s integrated software stack, matched with the company’s autonomous systems and precision munitions, enables full battlefield dominance: detect, decide, deliver. The initial roll-out of the company’s AV_Halo software strategy will focus on three mission-critical capability sets:
- AV_Halo COMMAND: Battle Management with C2 for Unmanned Vehicles – Situational awareness drives decision-making with continuous, AI-enhanced sensor feeds, telemetry, and environmental data into a secure, mission-specific operating picture. It enables theater-wide asset coordination, whether fixed, mobile, or distributed. AV_Halo COMMAND fuses AV’s KINESISTM tactical universal control architecture with VigilantHalo mission control User Interface and robust sensor fusion engine to provide a layered C2 capability for both offensive and defensive missions. AV_Halo COMMAND integrates with other services within the software platform as well as other third-party capabilities.
- AV_Halo VISION: Onboard Computer Vision for Autonomous Targeting – AV_Halo VISION enables real-time visual processing and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities on-platform, even in GPS-denied or comms-degraded environments. Enhanced with fused tracking from AV_Halo COMMAND’s C2 core, it delivers persistent autonomous targeting. AV_Halo VISION includes AV’s SPOTR Edge computer vision software and WISARD AI/ML processing module.
- AV_Halo PINPOINT: Directed Energy, Pointing and Tracking Technologies – Exact target acquisition and tracking for offensive radio frequency (RF) and laser capability payloads allows new and legacy platforms to operate independently across ISR, loitering, and strike profiles. Used in combination with AV_Halo COMMAND enables responsive autonomy driven by real-time threat perception. AV_Halo PINPOINT is at the core of AV’s LOCUST Laser Weapon SystemTM and Titan C-UASTM family of products.
“AV_Halo leverages the large portfolio of AV’s software suite of applications in one common software core, integrating our rapid product development process to accelerate innovation, interoperability, and deployment,” said Scott Bowman, AV Chief Technology Officer & Vice President of Global Engineering. “For mission planning or mission command, for mounted or dismounted operations, for training or for frontlines, AV_Halo wraps around all platforms and provides the flexibility and speed necessary to meet the challenges of tomorrow, today.”
AV_Halo follows the principles of the Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), a design strategy mandated by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to improve interoperability, agility, and sustainability in defense systems. As missions evolve, AV_Halo scales effortlessly, offering reliable solutions that adapt to emerging threats and operational demands–enabling operators to deploy exactly what is needed for any mission while minimizing cost. It seamlessly integrates across allied military and commercial systems, setting a new standard for interoperability in complex, multi-domain environments.
“Locked ecosystems and walled-off gardens are, by their nature, anti-innovation,” said Bowman. “By focusing on interoperability, we’re prioritizing collaboration. Our industry partners are encouraged to work within, and connect to, AV_Halo to bring best-in-class capabilities to the warfighter faster. The potential to create a global halo of protection, awareness and connectivity is here, and we welcome the opportunity to partner with leaders in the defense and commercial industry to make it a reality.”
Looking ahead, AV will continue to expand the AV_Halo software ecosystem with additional mission-ready capabilities, including advanced autonomous control, automated airspace deconfliction, immersive training and simulation, and other emerging tools that extend across the full spectrum of operations. These future releases will further enhance AV_Halo’s ability to deliver synchronized autonomy, cross-domain coordination, and mission adaptability—ensuring that warfighters remain equipped with the most advanced, flexible, and decisive tactical software ecosystem available.
About AeroVironment, Inc.
AeroVironment (“AV”) (NASDAQ: AVAV) is a defense technology leader delivering integrated capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. The Company develops and deploys autonomous systems, loitering munitions, counter-UAS technologies, space-based platforms, directed energy systems, and cyber and electronic warfare capabilities—built to meet the mission needs of today’s warfighter and tomorrow’s conflicts. At the core of these technologies lies AV_Halo, a modular, mission-ready suite of AI-powered software tools that empowers warfighters and enables full-battlefield dominance: detect, decide, deliver. With a national manufacturing footprint and a deep innovation pipeline, AV delivers proven systems and future-defining capabilities at speed, scale, and operational relevance. For more information, visit www.avinc.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are made on the basis of current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, economic, competitive, governmental and technological factors outside of our control, that may cause our business, strategy or actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, our ability to perform under existing contracts and obtain additional contracts; changes in the regulatory environment; the activities of competitors; failure of the markets in which we operate to grow; failure to expand into new markets; failure to develop new products or integrate new technology with current products; and general economic and business conditions in the United States and elsewhere in the world. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not intend, and undertake no obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Contact:
AeroVironment
+1.703.418.2828
pr@avinc.com