AeroVironment Receives $13 Million RQ-20A Puma AE Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Order for United States Marine Corps

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV) announced it received a firm fixed-price order valued at $13,015,396 for RQ-20A Puma™ AE small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and initial spares packages for the United States Marine Corps on October 27, 2015.

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United States Marine Corps places $13 million order for more AeroVironment Puma AE Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Courtesy United States Department of Defense)

The Marine Corps employs the Puma AE system as the long-range solution for its small unit remote scouting system (SURSS), complementing the AeroVironment RQ-11B Raven® and RQ-12A Wasp® AE UAS.

“The Puma AE unmanned aircraft system delivers situational awareness directly to its operator in ground, riverine and maritime operations,” said Kirk Flittie, AeroVironment vice president and general manager of its Unmanned Aircraft Systems business segment. “Working with the professionals at ADS, we continue to support the Marine Corps with reliable, easy-to-use UAS solutions that help give them information superiority on the battlefield.”

AeroVironment received the order from ADS, Inc. on behalf of the U.S. Marine Corps through the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Tailored Logistics Support (TLS) program. Delivery is scheduled within 12 months.

The Puma AE weighs 13.5 pounds, operates for more than 210 minutes at a range of up to 15 kilometers and delivers live, streaming color and infrared video as well as laser illumination from its pan-tilt-zoom Mantis i23 AE gimbaled payload. Launched by hand and capable of landing on the ground or in fresh or salt water, the Puma AE provides portability and flexibility for infantry, littoral or maritime reconnaissance operations.

About AeroVironment Small UAS

RQ-11B Raven®, RQ-12 Wasp®, 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 30 international governments.

The Puma AE small UAS comprises one component of AeroVironment’s advanced, turnkey data collection, processing and delivery solution employed to provide commercial customers with engineering-quality information, on demand, across multiple industries such as energy, agriculture, transportation and utilities.

About AeroVironment

AeroVironment is a technology solutions provider that designs, develops, produces, supports and operates an advanced portfolio of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and electric transportation solutions. The company’s electric-powered, hand-launched unmanned aircraft systems generate and process data to deliver powerful insight, on demand, to people and enterprises engaged in military, public safety and commercial activities around the world. Global Observer® is a hybrid-electric, stratospheric UAS designed to provide affordable, persistent reconnaissance and communication over any location on the globe. The Switchblade® tactical missile system enables the infantry squad and other customers with increased lethality, reach and force protection through its rapid deployment, direct fire and collateral damage avoidance capabilities. AeroVironment’s electric transportation solutions include a comprehensive suite of electric vehicle (EV) charging systems, installation and network 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.

About ADS, Inc.

ADS, Inc. is a leading solutions provider proudly serving all branches of the U.S. military, federal, state and local government organizations, law enforcement agencies, first responders, partner nations and the defense industry. ADS is focused on solving customer’s challenges through the largest product and service selection, the broadest array of procurement and contract options, world-class support and logistics solutions and legendary customer service. To learn more, visit the ADS website at http://adsinc.com - Our Purpose. Your Mission.

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; our reliance on sales to the U.S. government; changes in the timing and/or amount of government spending; changes in the supply and/or demand and/or prices for our products and services; 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, including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on 10-Q. 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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