Electromagnetic spectrum survivable materials to be developed by AeroVironment for U.S. Air Force
NewsOctober 02, 2025
ARLINGTON, Virginia. AeroVironment won a 10-year, single-award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract valued at $499 million from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for the High-Performance Electromagnetic Spectrum Survivable Materials Advancement (HELMSSMAN) program, the company announced in a statement.
The HELMSSMAN program is intended to advance research, development, and deployment of materials designed to protect personnel and systems from harmful electromagnetic radiation, the statement reads. AeroVironment has been awarded two initial task orders totaling $246 million: one focused on developing vision protection materials to safeguard warfighters in electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) environments, and another aimed at enhancing EMS resilience of U.S. materials, components, and systems.
Work will include research, prototyping, testing, and transition of protective technologies, according to the company. AeroVironment says it will leverage past work with AFRL in areas such as laser-hardened materials, electronic and photonic systems, and electronic warfare applications.
The company states that efforts under this contract will include developing test infrastructure, modeling methods, and demonstrations to accelerate fielding of EMS-protection measures across multiple operational domains.
