AeroVironment, Inc. of Simi Valley, CA announced on November 13 the U.S. Army awarded the company a firm-fixed-price contract on June 6, 2019 to begin radio frequency modifications on its currently deployed Raven UAS. The initial base delivery order is $862,488, with potential contract options valued up to $55 million.
“AeroVironment engineered and manufactures the
Raven system, so we are best equipped to support quick and efficient field
upgrades to ensure maximum Raven system uptime and force protection for
operators around the world,” said Rick Pedigo, vice president, sales and
business development for AeroVironment. “AeroVironment and the Army are committed
to supplying soldiers closest to the fight with the most advanced aerial
robotic technology to gain critical situational awareness anywhere and at any
time to help them proceed with certainty.”
AeroVironment won the competitive bid
as part of the Army’s $248.5 million five-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite
Quantity small UAS sustainment contract announced in April 2018. AeroVironment
and six other awardees were selected as part of the IDIQ contract, which covers
six domains: Systems, Tactical Open Government Owned Architecture (TOGA), Other
Major Components, RQ-20A Puma Spares, RQ-11B Raven Spares and Flight Control
Systems (FCS). The Army selected AeroVironment as the sole-source supplier for
RQ-20A and RQ-11B spares and for FCS.
AeroVironment’s Raven system is designed for rapid deployment and high mobility for applications requiring low-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. With a wingspan of 4.5 feet and weighing 4.2 pounds, the hand-launched Raven provides aerial observation, day or night, at line-of-sight ranges up to approximately 6.2 miles (10 kilometers). With its stabilized gimbaled payload, the Raven delivers real-time color or infrared imagery to ground control and remote viewing stations.
Source: AeroVironment
By Loren Blinde
November 15, 2019
