AeroVironment Inc. [AVAV] yesterday said it has received orders valued at $36.7 million under a contract for its Switchblade™ tactical missile systems, ancillary equipment and support.
The Army Close Combat Weapons Systems Program Executive Office Missiles and Space (PEO MS) awarded the contract modifications.
AeroVironment and its strategic teammate for advanced warheads, ATK [ATK], will work together to produce and deliver the systems.
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| Switchblade Photo: AeroVironment |
“Even in tight defense budget environments, there is a need for innovative new weapon systems that allow our customers to achieve decisive force while reducing total mission costs,” said Tim Convert, AeroVironment chairman and chief executive officer. “This surge of demand for Switchblade represents a breakthrough in its transition from development, testing and evaluation to adoption.”
Convert added, “Our team is relentlessly focused on delivering new capabilities that help our customers succeed, and Switchblade is a clear example of our growth thesis working, from innovation to adoption. It’s creating a pathway to a compelling new capability for the Army, and long-term growth for the company.”
The new orders totaling $36.7 million were issued on Aug. 20, Sept. 4 and Sept. 5, under a sole-source contract established on Aug. 30, 2012. All orders under this contract include operational and training rounds plus training, support and rapid delivery to support ongoing customer operations.
“Switchblade helps protect our forces from harm in very dangerous situations,” said Roy Minson, AeroVironment senior vice president and general manager of the company’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems business segment. “It provides a new and effective way for our forces to respond quickly to threats while reducing or even eliminating collateral damage through its set of unique capabilities. Switchblade is a smart, modern and cost-effective tool for force protection.”
Switchblade provides a high-precision, direct fire capability at beyond-line-of-sight ranges in a rapidly deployable, backpackable package weighing six pounds. The miniature, remotely-piloted or autonomous platform can either glide or propel itself using quiet electric propulsion, providing real-time GPS coordinates and video for information gathering, targeting, or feature/object recognition. The Switchblade can be launched from a variety of air and ground platforms.