AeroVironment Receives $13.8 Million Order from United States Army for RQ-11B Raven Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Gimbaled Payloads
AeroVironment,
Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) today announced it received $13,800,062 of
incremental funding on March 30, 2013 from the United States Army for
continued performance of a contract action with a not to exceed value of
$65,538,759. The order includes RQ-11B
Raven systems, new miniature gimbaled payloads and initial spares
packages, and is funded from the Army’s fiscal 2012 procurement budget.
Delivery of systems, spares and payloads is scheduled for completion by
July 25, 2013.
AeroVironment's Raven Gimbaled unmanned aircraft system (Photo: Business Wire)
“The proven Raven small unmanned aircraft system continues to serve our
soldiers reliably, wherever and whenever they require immediate airborne
situational awareness,” said Roy Minson, AeroVironment senior vice
president and general manager, Unmanned Aircraft Systems. “Like all our
customers, the Army’s needs continue to evolve, and we continue to
deliver enhanced solutions to ensure that our troops maintain their
battlefield advantage. The Mantis
suite of gimbaled payloads is the latest example of a valuable
capability enhancement to protect those who protect us.”
The RQ-11B Raven unmanned aircraft system is a 4.5-pound, backpackable,
hand-launched sensor platform that provides day and night, real-time
video imagery wirelessly to a portable ground control station for "over
the hill" and "around the corner" reconnaissance, surveillance and
target acquisition in support of tactical units. U.S. armed forces use
Raven systems extensively for missions such as base security, route
reconnaissance, mission planning and force protection. Each Raven system
typically consists of three aircraft, two ground control stations and
spares.
About AeroVironment’s Family of Small UAS
RQ-11B
Raven®, Wasp
AE™, RQ-20A
Puma™ and Shrike
VTOL™ comprise AeroVironment’s Family of Small Unmanned Aircraft
Systems. Operating with a common
ground control system (GCS), this Family of Systems provides
increased capability to the warfighter that can give ground commanders
the option of selecting the appropriate aircraft based on the type of
mission to be performed. This increased capability has the potential to
provide significant force protection and force multiplication benefits
to small tactical units and security personnel. AeroVironment provides
logistics services worldwide to ensure a consistently high level of
operational readiness and provides mission services for customers
requiring only the information its small UAS produce. AeroVironment has
delivered thousands of new and replacement small unmanned air vehicles
to customers within the United States and to more than a dozen
international governments.
The Qube™
small UAS is tailored to search and rescue, first response, law
enforcement and other public safety missions. Small enough to fit easily
in the trunk of a car, the Qube system can be unpacked, assembled and
ready for flight in less than five minutes, giving the operator a
rapidly deployable eye in the sky at a fraction of the cost of manned
aircraft and large unmanned aircraft.
About AeroVironment, Inc.
AeroVironment is a technology solutions provider that designs, develops,
produces, operates and supports an advanced portfolio of Unmanned
Aircraft Systems (UAS) and electric transportation solutions.
Agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense and allied military services
use the company’s electric-powered, hand-launched
unmanned aircraft systems extensively to provide situational
awareness to tactical operating units through real-time, airborne
reconnaissance, surveillance and communication. Multiple government
agencies have helped to fund the development and demonstration of Global
Observer®, a hybrid-electric,
stratospheric UAS designed to provide affordable, persistent
reconnaissance and communication over any location on the globe. Switchblade™
is a loitering munition designed to provide a rapid, lethal, pinpoint
precision strike capability with minimal collateral damage.
AeroVironment’s electric transportation solutions include a
comprehensive suite of electric
vehicle (EV) charging systems, installation and data services for
consumers, automakers, utilities and government agencies, power
cycling and test systems for EV developers and industrial
electric vehicle charging systems for commercial fleets. More
information about AeroVironment is available at 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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