AeroVironment (AV) has been awarded a contract for the U.S. Army’s Directed Requirement (DR) for Lethal Unmanned Systems (LUS). The 5-year contract from Army Contracting Command-Aberdeen Proving Ground is Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) with a contract ceiling value of $990 million. Deliveries of the Switchblade® systems are expected to begin in months. The LUS Directed Requirement is the Army’s first effort to equip soldiers in infantry battalions with lethal, man-portable loitering munition systems. The combat-proven Switchblade systems will enhance soldiers’ capabilities with precision flight control, greater lethality against fortified targets such as armored vehicles and tanks, and the ability to track and engage moving non-line-of-sight targets. AV was awarded a contract for the LUS Directed Requirement in December 2023 and is currently delivering systems under that contract.
“AV is proud to have been selected to provide Switchblade for this critical and urgent Army requirement. This latest contract underscores the unmatched maturity and effectiveness of our system, as well as AV’s strategic positioning to rapidly produce and deliver these cutting-edge solutions to operators in the field. Starting with the LUS Directed Requirement, we are well positioned to meet the Army’s emerging needs, leveraging our robust production capability and supply chain capacity to ensure rapid fielding and enhanced combat overmatch for our soldiers,” said Brett Hush, AV’s senior vice president and general manager of Loitering Munition Systems.
The AeroVironment Switchblade is a miniature loitering munition designed by AeroVironment and used by several branches of the United States military. The name Switchblade comes from how the spring-loaded wings are folded inside a tube and flipped out once released. Switchblade represents the next generation of extended-range loitering munition systems, providing operators in the field with a multi-mission loitering munition system capable of multi-domain operations. The combat-proven system also features high-precision optics and extended loitering endurance. This contract further solidifies AV’s role as a leading provider of innovative unmanned solutions. The company remains committed to supporting the U.S. Army’s mission by delivering advanced technology that ensures operational superiority and enhances the safety and effectiveness of military personnel.
AeroVironment, Inc. is an American defense contractor headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, that designs and manufactures unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Paul B. MacCready Jr., a designer of human-powered aircraft, founded the company in 1971. The company is best known for its lightweight human-powered and solar-powered vehicles. The company is the US military’s top supplier of small drones —notably the Raven, Switchblade, Wasp and Puma models. AeroVironment are driven to seek more powerful ways to combine advances in such future defining technologies as robotics, sensors, software analytics and connectivity to generate even more meaningful information and to elevate customers’ capacity to make smarter, quicker decisions. The company pioneered and is a leader in the markets for small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Loitering Munition Systems, Unmanned Ground Vehicles and High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellites.
