AeroVironment Receives $22 Million RQ-12 Wasp AE Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Order for United States Marine Corps

September 24, 2014

Wasp AE to begin filling Marines next generation family of systems micro UAS requirement
Largest single procurement of ground and water-capable Wasp AE

QUANTICO, At Modern Day Marine, September 24, 2014 – AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV) today announced it has received a firm fixed-price order valued at $21,779,408 for RQ-12 Wasp® AE small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and initial spares packages for the United States Marine Corps.

The United States Marine Corps, which recently unveiled its next generation small UAS family of systems, is adding RQ-12 Wasp AE as the short-range, or micro, solution to the existing small UAS portfolio made up of the AeroVironment RQ-11B Raven® and RQ-20A Puma™ AE. Puma AE is the USMC’s long-range solution.

“Together with the professionals at ADS, whose military-experienced personnel procured this order by demonstrating a clear understanding of the customer’s mission and requirements, we are confident that Wasp AE will provide deployed Marines with valuable situational awareness that will help them operate more safely and effectively,” said Roy Minson, AeroVironment senior vice president and general manager of its Unmanned Aircraft Systems business segment.

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

Previously procured by the Marine Corps and the U.S. Air Force, the Wasp AE weighs 2.8 pounds, operates for up to 50 minutes at a range of up to five kilometers and delivers live, streaming color and infrared video from its pan-tilt-zoom Mantis i22 AE gimbaled payload. Launched by hand and capable of landing on the ground or in fresh or salt water, the Wasp AE provides portability and flexibility for infantry, littoral or maritime reconnaissance operations.

“Wasp AE delivers unmatched portability and flexibility with its small size, all-environment operation and advanced capabilities,” Minson said.

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 oil & gas, agriculture, mining and others. The Qube® small UAS is tailored to law enforcement, first response 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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AeroVironment, Inc.
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Mark Boyer
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