AeroVironment wins US$990M Contract to supply US Army with Switchblade loitering munitions

Washington DC firm AeroVironment (AV) has been awarded a 5-year Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for the US Army’s Directed Requirement (DR) for Lethal Unmanned Systems (LUS). The contract, from Army Contracting Command-Aberdeen Proving Ground, is for Switchblade loitering munitions, has a ceiling value of US$990 million and deliveries are expected to begin in months.

The LUS Directed Requirement is the Army’s first effort to equip soldiers in infantry battalions with lethal, man-portable loitering munition systems. The combat-proven Switchblade systems will enhance soldiers’ capabilities with precision flight control, greater lethality against fortified targets such as armoured vehicles and tanks, and the ability to track and engage moving non-line-of-sight targets, the company says.

“AV is proud to have been selected to provide Switchblade for this critical and urgent Army requirement,” said Brett Hush, AV’s senior vice president and general manager of Loitering Munition Systems. “This latest contract underscores the unmatched maturity and effectiveness of our system, as well as AV’s strategic positioning to rapidly produce and deliver these cutting-edge solutions to operators in the field.”

Switchblade represents the next generation of extended-range loitering munition systems, providing operators in the field with a multi-mission loitering munition system capable of multi-domain operations. The combat-proven system also features high-precision optics and extended loitering endurance. The company has not disclosed which of the two current variants of Switchblade – the -300 Block 20 or the -600 – it is delivering under the LUS contract.

“Starting with the LUS Directed Requirement, we are well positioned to meet the Army’s emerging needs, leveraging our robust production capability and supply chain capacity to ensure rapid fielding and enhanced combat overmatch for our soldiers,” continued Hush.