AeroVironment, Inc. develops and reports on defense technology systems for air, land, sea, space and cyber operations. Company announcements regularly cover autonomous systems, loitering munitions, counter-unmanned aircraft systems, space-based platforms, directed energy systems and cyber and electronic warfare capabilities.
Recurring developments include U.S. government awards and prototype agreements, product introductions such as Halo_Shield and MAYHEM 10, demonstrations of the LOCUST laser weapon system, and program updates for platforms including Switchblade 400 and VAPOR CLE. News also covers investor conference participation and updates tied to AV_Halo, the company's modular AI-powered software suite.
AeroVironment (AVAV) secured a U.S. Army Enduring-High Energy Laser (E-HEL) program production contract valued at $464.8 million for its LOCUST® family of laser weapons.
The award is described as the first-ever U.S. production procurement for directed energy systems, marking a shift from prototype to production for laser weapons. Under an Other Transaction Agreement, AV will deliver dozens of 30-kilowatt LOCUST X3 counter-UAS systems over the next few years, integrate them on platforms including the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, and provide support and training. The program builds on AMP-HEL prototype experience and successful testing at White Sands Missile Range, and is supported by a previously announced $30 million investment in AV’s Albuquerque, New Mexico facility.
AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) will participate in the 2026 Jefferies Global Industrials Conference in New York City. Chairman, President and CEO Wahid Nawabi and EVP and CFO Sean Woodward will join a fireside chat on September 10 at 12:50 p.m. ET, accessible via live and archived webcast on the company’s website.
AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) announced that its MacCready Works team has been awarded a contract with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to co‑design and co‑manufacture three autonomous Mars helicopters for NASA’s SkyFall mission, targeting a November 2028 launch window.
SkyFall will be the first mission to fly a coordinated team of three instrument‑carrying helicopters on Mars, featuring a new “SkyFall maneuver” for autonomous atmospheric entry and powered descent. The aircraft will carry JPL‑designed ground‑penetrating radar and other instruments to study subsurface ice and Martian environmental processes.
AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) will release financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2027, ended August 1, 2026, after market close on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Management will host a conference call and live audio webcast at 4:30 p.m. ET that day to discuss the results, accessible via advance registration and through the Investor Relations section of the company’s website, where an audio replay and transcript will be archived.
AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) announced a $51 million U.S. Army delivery order for additional Switchblade 600 Block 2 loitering munition systems, plus Block 1 systems supporting a Foreign Military Sale to a key U.S. ally.
The award was made under the Army’s existing five-year, $990 million Lethal Unmanned Systems IDIQ contract issued in August 2024 and is described as a follow-on procurement to the Army’s initial Switchblade next-generation order. According to AeroVironment, the order highlights sustained demand, expanding production capacity, and the system’s use across more than 20 brigade combat teams since 2025.
AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) plans to invest $100 million in a unified, company-owned campus on about 20 acres in Moorpark, California. The facility will consolidate teams and capabilities from five leased Southern California locations to enhance collaboration across research, engineering, design, prototyping and production.
According to the company, the campus is intended to support faster development cycles, accommodate future technologies and deepen AV’s long-term presence in California while complementing its broader U.S. manufacturing network. AV closed on the primary property in its fiscal second quarter, expects renovation and construction to begin in fiscal 2028, and targets full operational status in 2029. The investment falls within previously issued fiscal 2027 capital expenditure guidance.
AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) will establish an industrial presence in Greece via AV Eagle, a new joint venture with Athens-based Eyeonix SA, after signing a definitive shareholders agreement and receiving Foreign Direct Investment approval from the Hellenic Republic Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The venture builds on more than a decade of cooperation and is intended to expand AeroVironment’s ability to pursue defense opportunities in Greece and across Europe. AV Eagle is expected to become operational in fiscal year 2027, with production capabilities in Greece targeted to be operational by 2028.
Planned activities include potentially establishing a new facility to manufacture and assemble unmanned aerial systems, loitering munition systems and counter‑UAS for defense and civil protection customers. AeroVironment will hold a majority stake, and AV Eagle will be consolidated in its financial statements, with the initial capital investment already reflected in prior financial guidance.
AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) appointed Michael D. Ruppert to its Board of Directors, effective August 5, 2026. Ruppert has more than 25 years of financial, strategic and corporate development experience in the aerospace and defense sector and currently serves as EVP and Chief Financial Officer of ManTech, overseeing financial planning, accounting, treasury, cash management and acquisition strategy.
According to AeroVironment, Ruppert’s background aligns with the company’s growth strategy and focus on mission-critical defense technologies. The company also reported that longtime director Charles Thomas “Tom” Burbage will not seek re-election and will retire from the Board at the 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, after serving since 2013 and holding roles on key board committees.
AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) and Applied Intuition announced a strategic teaming agreement to integrate Applied Intuition’s Acuity ISR/Strike collaborative autonomy software into AeroVironment’s Mayhem 10 launched effects system for U.S. military and allied customers.
The integrated solution is designed to enable autonomous hunter-killer and swarm behaviors, allowing teams of Mayhem 10 systems to find, fix, track, target, and engage under the supervision of a single operator. According to AeroVironment, the effort aligns with the U.S. Army’s Launched Effects program and leverages a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) for third-party payload and software integration. A recent joint demonstration validated collaborative autonomy behaviors across multiple Mayhem 10 systems.
Mayhem 10 carries a 10-pound payload, operates at ranges exceeding 100 kilometers with over 50 minutes endurance, and is designed for rapid launch, contested environments, and interoperability with AV_Halo COMMAND and Tomahawk Grip controller.
AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) announced that director Stephen F. Page/b) has decided not to seek re-election and will retire from the Board at the company’s . He has served on the Board for 13 years, providing strategic, financial and governance oversight during the company’s evolution into a multi-domain defense technology provider, according to AeroVironment.