AV Receives $51 Million U.S. Army Order for Switchblade® 600 Loitering Munitions

Key Terms

loitering munition technical

A loitering munition is a weapon that flies like a small drone, waits over an area for a chosen target, and then detonates on impact or after striking — think of it as a flying, guided projectile that can loiter like a scout until the right moment. Investors care because these systems affect defense spending, export rules, and battlefield outcomes; demand, regulation, or combat losses can swiftly change a defense supplier’s revenue and political risk profile.

indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (idiq) regulatory

Indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) is a flexible contract method that allows a buyer to order an unspecified amount of goods or services over a period of time. It functions like a restaurant that agrees to provide meals whenever needed, up to a maximum amount, rather than committing to a fixed quantity upfront. For investors, IDIQ contracts offer ongoing opportunities and potential stability in revenue streams, though they also involve uncertainty about exact future orders.

foreign military sale regulatory

A foreign military sale is a government-to-government program in which one country’s defense establishment arranges the purchase and transfer of military equipment, training, or services to another country, typically managed by a central authority under export-control laws. Think of it as a brokered, official purchase where the selling government handles contract approval, financing, and delivery—information investors follow because these deals can create large, multi‑year contracts and predictable revenue for defense companies.

automatic target recognition technical

Automatic target recognition is a technology that uses sensors and software to identify and classify objects or points of interest without human intervention, like a camera that not only sees a car but also tells you its make and whether it’s moving. Investors care because ATR can drive sales and competitive advantage in markets such as defense, surveillance, and medical imaging, influence recurring-contract revenue, and raise regulatory and liability considerations that affect valuation.

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Award under Lethal Unmanned Systems IDIQ reflects growing demand for AV’s next-generation, long-range precision loitering munitions and proven Switchblade 600 performance.

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AeroVironment, Inc. (“AV”) (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in defense technology, autonomous systems and precision strike solutions, today announced receipt of a $51 million delivery order from the United States Army for additional Switchblade® 600 Block 2 loitering munition systems. The order also includes Switchblade 600 Block 1 systems in support of a Foreign Military Sale to a key United States ally.

Soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division launch the Switchblade® 600 during a May 2026 training exercise in the Philippines, demonstrating precision strike capability and rapid response in austere, expeditionary environments.

The order was awarded under the Army’s existing five-year, $990 million Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for Lethal Unmanned Systems (LUS), originally issued in August 2024.

This latest award represents a follow-on procurement to the Army’s initial order for the next-generation Switchblade product line and underscores the strong, sustained demand for AV’s battle-proven long-range, precision loitering munitions.

“Continued investment by the U.S. Army in Switchblade 600 Block 2 reflects both the growing demand for long-range, precision loitering munitions and the proven reliability of the Switchblade family in demanding operational environments,” said Brian Young, Senior Vice President of Loitering Munitions at AV. “Building on the success of Switchblade 600 Block 1, Block 2 continues to deliver the meaningful upgrades in autonomy, resilience, and lethality tailored to the Army’s needs in contested, multi-domain operations.”

This order also reflects AV’s expanding production capacity and performance on prior Switchblade 600 deliveries.

“This new delivery order under the LUS IDIQ further validates Switchblade 600 Block 2 as a next-generation, scalable fires solution for the Army,” said Young. “As we expand our manufacturing capacity and accelerate delivery timelines, we’re ensuring that U.S. soldiers have reliable, combat-proven loitering munitions that deliver precision effects at range while keeping them out of harm’s way.”

Since 2025, Switchblade 600 has been fielded across more than 20 brigade combat teams while hundreds of U.S. soldiers have been trained on the system’s operation and employment.

Switchblade 600 Block 2 is designed for multi-domain operations and ruggedized for maritime and highly contested environments. Developed in collaboration with United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM), the system incorporates upgraded avionics and advanced automatic target recognition including SPOTR AiTR, to enable faster detection, identification, and engagement of threats.

Integrated resilient communications, including Silvus MANET radios, support distributed operations and extended handoff ranges, while improved navigation and mission resilience allow effective employment in GPS-challenged environments. These enhancements provide commanders with increased reach, flexibility, and confidence against armored and other high-value targets.

About AV

AeroVironment (“AV”) (NASDAQ: AVAV) is a defense technology leader delivering integrated capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. The Company develops and deploys autonomous systems, loitering munitions, counter-UAS technologies, space-based platforms, directed energy systems, and cyber and electronic warfare capabilities—built to meet the mission needs of today’s warfighter and tomorrow’s conflicts. At the core of these technologies lies AV_Halo™, a modular, mission-ready suite of AI-powered software tools that empowers warfighters and enables full-battlefield dominance: detect, decide, deliver. With a national manufacturing footprint and a deep innovation pipeline, AV delivers proven systems and future-defining capabilities at speed, scale, and operational relevance. For more information, visit www.avinc.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to, our ability to perform under existing contracts and obtain new ones; regulatory changes; competitor activities; market growth; product development challenges; and general economic conditions. For a more detailed discussion of these risks, please refer to AeroVironment’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260826941078/en/

Media Contact:
Deb Richardson
pr@avinc.com
667-356-1377

Investor Contact:
Denise Pacioni
ir@avinc.com
805.795.4108

Source: AeroVironment, Inc.