AeroVironment Awarded $12 M Support Contract from Major Middle Eastern Ally

SIMI VALLEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV), a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), today announced a major Middle Eastern ally awarded the company a firm fixed-price contract valued at $11,999,992 on October 25, 2019 for logistics support, spares, and repair services in support of its existing fleet of AeroVironment’s Puma™ AE and Raven® B tactical UAS. The contract award period of performance is two years.

“Our United States and global customers require reliable, rugged and combat-proven tactical unmanned aircraft systems that defense and security personnel can deploy immediately from their rucksacks without the need for runways or other launch logistics,” said Rick Pedigo, vice president of sales and business development for AeroVironment. “This order builds on our fast-growing international customer base as more allied forces rely on our innovative systems to proceed with certainty on the frontlines.”

AeroVironment’s Raven system is designed for rapid deployment and high mobility for applications requiring low-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. With a wingspan of 4.5 feet and weighing 4.2 pounds, the hand-launched Raven provides aerial observation, day or night, at line-of-sight range of at least 6.2 miles (10 kilometers). The Raven’s stabilized gimbaled payload delivers real-time color or infrared imagery to ground control and remote viewing stations.

The AeroVironment Puma AE is a fully man-portable unmanned aircraft system designed for land and maritime operations. The hand-launched Puma AE has a wingspan of 9.2 feet, weighs 15 pounds and operates for up to 2.5 hours at line-of sight range of 20 kilometers with a standard antenna, and up to 60 kilometers with AeroVironment’s Long-Range Tracking Antenna. Capable of landing in water or on land, the all-environment Puma, with its Mantis i45 sensor suite, empowers the operator with extended flight time and a level of imaging capability never before available in the small UAS class.