Tag: AeroVironment

AeroVironment UAS sales drop, funded backlog close to record

AeroVironment yesterday reported second quarter revenue of $64.9 million, down 19 percent from $80.3 million during the same period last year. However, the company also noted that its funded backlog — or unfilled orders for which funding has been appropriated to the company under contract — was $133.8 million, a big jump from $59.4 million as of April 30.

AeroVironment wins contract to create new category of UAS

AeroVironment reported today that it has been awarded a $2.3 million contract to help develop a new type of unmanned aircraft system for DARPA. The company will work as the prime contractor with DARPA on the Tactically Exploited Reconnaissance Node (TERN) Program to develop a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAS designed to operate from small ships

AeroVironment, Eurocopter evaluating joint opportunities

Unmanned aircraft systems leader AeroVironment and helicopter maker Eurocopter said today that they have signed a cooperative agreement to explore potential joint military and commercial business opportunities. The announcement occurred at the Association of the United States Army annual meeting in Washington. The majority of AeroVironment’s UAS are fixed-wing vehicles, though it does produce the Shrike

AeroVironment receives $20M for gimbaled sensor payloads

The U.S. Army recently placed an order for $20 million worth of AeroVironment’s Mantis i23 gimbaled sensor payloads to upgrade its fleet of RQ-11B Raven unmanned aircraft systems. The Mantis is a multi-axis pan, tilt and zoom sensor that enhances the capability of the small, hand-launched RQ-11B Raven. AeroVironment says U.S. government fiscal 2013 appropriations provided funding

AeroVironment receives $36M in new tactical missile orders

During the past few weeks, AeroVironment has received $36.7 million in new orders under a U.S. Army contract for its Switchblade tactical missile systems, the company reported today. The orders were issued on Aug. 20, Sept. 4 and Sept. 5 under a sole source contract established last year. AeroVironment and its strategic teammate for advanced

Prototype small solar UAS achieves 9-hour flight time

In July, AeroVironment’s Puma AE became one of the first two small unmanned aircraft systems to receive approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for commercial missions. At AUVSI’s Unmanned Systems conference earlier today, the company shared a new milestone, reporting that an in-development solar-powered version of the Puma AE lasted more than nine hours during a

FAA grants milestone approval for small AeroVironment UAS

AeroVironment Inc. reported today that it has received a first-of-its-kind approval from the Federal Aviation Administration that permits operators to fly commercial missions using one of its small unmanned aircraft systems. This marks the first time the FAA has approved a hand-launched unmanned aircraft system for commercial missions. The company received the “Restricted Category” rating