Lockheed and AeroVironment join forces to pursue UAS opportunities

AeroVironment, Inc., a provider of unmanned aircraft system solutions, and Lockheed Martin Corporation, one of the world’s largest aerospace companies, on Feb. 6 announced an agreement to jointly pursue opportunities in unmanned aircraft system (UAS) development.

“At Lockheed Martin, we look forward to partnering with AeroVironment to potentially develop integrated solutions for the unmanned systems market,” said Paul Lemmo, Lockheed Martin senior vice president of corporate strategy and business development. “Using our expertise in systems integration and AeroVironment’s knowledge of unmanned aircraft solutions, we will together look for opportunities to develop innovative technologies that create value for new and existing customers.”

“Numerous customers are seeking persistent solutions for wide area applications, such as border surveillance and communications, that are much more affordable than those available previously,” said Roy Minson, AeroVironment senior vice president and general manager of its unmanned aircraft systems business segment. “Lockheed Martin’s broad systems integration expertise gives us the opportunity to work together and develop innovative, end-to-end atmospheric satellite systems built around Global Observer that deliver breakthrough capabilities to customers.”

AeroVironment is a technology solutions provider that designs, develops, produces, supports and operates an advanced portfolio of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and electric transportation solutions. Agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense and allied military services use the company’s electric-powered, hand-launched unmanned aircraft systems extensively to provide situational awareness to tactical operating units through real-time, airborne reconnaissance, surveillance and communication.

Multiple government agencies helped to fund the development and demonstration of Global Observer, a hybrid-electric, stratospheric UAS designed to provide affordable, persistent reconnaissance and communication over any location on the globe.