U.S. military branches order $111 million in AeroVironment mini-UAS hardware, support
NewsMay 24, 2018
TAMPA, Fla. Unmanned aircraft system (UAS) provider AeroVironment -- which supplies UASs to both military and commercial users -- won contract awards from the U.S. Army during April 2018 for procurement of the company?s Switchblade Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System (LMAMS) and Contractor Logistics Support. This most recent announcement brings the total value of Switchblade awards to $111 million since August 2017.
Company documents detail that the AeroVironment Switchblade provides the warfighter with rapid-response force protection and precision-strike capabilities up to 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from its launch location and that its precise targeting -- combined with specialized effects and wave-off capability -- mean that the Switchblade mini UAS can minimize or even eliminate collateral damage.
Space/defense contractor Orbital ATK (Dulles, Virginia) provides single-purpose and multimode warheads for the Switchblade program.
