AeroVironment has secured an $874-million contract from the US Army to support foreign military sales of unmanned aerial systems and counter-UAS technologies.
The five-year arrangement enables US allies and partners to purchase Groups 1 through 3 drones and counter-drone systems via Program Executive Office Aviation, accompanied by training, spare parts, and comprehensive logistics assistance.
Pentagon specifications for the platforms include maximum takeoff weights up to 1,230 pounds (558 kilograms), speeds reaching 250 knots (463 kilometers/288 miles per hour), and operational ceilings up to 18,000 feet (5,486 meters).
The agreement includes several flagship AeroVironment systems, among them the JUMP 20 VTOL fixed-wing aircraft, which offers more than 13 hours of ISR endurance.
It also features the P550 electric VTOL drone, built for rapid deployment, modular payload changes, and targeting or strike missions with up to five hours of battery life, alongside the Puma system, intended for land and maritime roles with day-night capability and support for external payloads.
Customers can further opt for the Raven, the company’s most widely fielded small UAS, which is hand-launched and delivers real-time video or infrared imagery at low altitude, and the Titan counter-UAS platform, employing radio-frequency sensing and suited for both stationary and mobile deployments.
