AeroVironment Receives $13.8 Million Order from United States Army for RQ-11B Raven Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Gimbaled Payloads
April 10, 2013
- Third order received since May 2012 for total of $46.1 million against projected $65.5 million contract action
- Procurement represents continued progress toward U.S. Army’s acquisition objective for Raven systems
MONROVIA, Calif., April 10, 2013– 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.
“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. (AV)
AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) is a global leader in intelligent multi-domain robotic systems, uncrewed aircraft and ground systems, sensors, software analytics, and connectivity. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, AeroVironment delivers actionable intelligence so our customers can proceed with certainty. For more information, visit 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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