AeroVironment receives $14.8 million order for Raven UAS retrofit kits

MONROVIA, Calif., 13 April 2011. AeroVironment Inc. has received a U.S. Army firm-fixed-price contract order valued at $14,773,816 for digital Raven small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) retrofit kits. The 4.2-pound, backpackable, hand-launched Raven unmanned aircraft provides day and night, real-time video imagery for "over the hill" and "around the corner" reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition. U.S. armed forces use Raven systems—each of which typically includes three aircraft, two ground control stations, and spares—for such missions as base security, route reconnaissance, mission planning, and force protection. Work is scheduled to be completed by December 2011.

AeroVironment's small UAS also include Puma and Wasp hand-launched platforms controlled by the company’s handheld ground control station. Each aircraft in AeroVironment's small UAS family is interoperable and tailored to address a variety of operational user needs.

AeroVironment's UAS logistics operation supports systems deployed worldwide for a high level of operational readiness. To date, AeroVironment has delivered thousands of small unmanned aircraft. International Raven purchasers include: Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, and Norway.