Raven SUAS deployment
AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) has received a firm-fixed-price contract order valued at $8,373,995 under a follow-on contract with the U.S. Army. The order comprises new digital Raven® small unmanned aircraft systems (SUAS) and initial spares packages. The Raven unmanned aircraft is a 4.2-pound, backpackable, hand-launched sensor platform that provides day and night, real-time video imagery for "over the hill" and "around the corner" reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition in support of tactical units. A November 2010 article from the U.S. Department of Defense website Armed with Science describes how the U.S. Army's Second Heavy Brigade Combat Team (2HBCT), "The Spartan Brigade," employed the Raven system to reduce enemy attacks on U.S. forces. " U.S. armed forces use Raven systems extensively for missions such as base security, route reconnaissance, mission planning and force protection. Each Raven system typically consists of three aircraft, two ground control stations and spares.