- AeroVironment was awarded a potential $500 million Army contract to deliver commercial counter-drone capabilities
- The award is intended to strengthen AeroVironment’s role in the counter-unmanned aircraft systems market
- AeroVironment recently introduced Halo_Shield, a modular platform for detecting and defeating aerial threats
AeroVironment has secured a potential $500 million contract from the U.S. Army for commercial counter-unmanned aerial systems, or C-UAS, capabilities.
What Does the Contract Cover?
The Department of War said Wednesday the firm-fixed-price contract covers the acquisition of commercial technologies to defend against unmanned aircraft systems, including small drones. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order issued under the contract, which is scheduled to run through June 29, 2029. The Army Contracting Command at Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, serves as the contracting activity.
How Does the Award Build on AeroVironment’s C-UAS Portfolio?
The contract expands AeroVironment’s role in the counter-drone market. In April, the Simi Valley, California-based company introduced Halo_Shield, a modular C-UAS platform designed to detect, track, identify and defeat aerial threats, including small and large unmanned aircraft, drone swarms and subsonic cruise missiles. The system combines sensors, effectors and command-and-control capabilities and is designed to integrate with existing defense networks.
AeroVironment has also continued to expand its Army counter-drone work. In 2025, the company delivered prototype laser weapon systems under the Army Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser program and secured a separate contract to scale production of its Freedom Eagle kinetic interceptor, a missile designed to defeat Group 2 and Group 3 unmanned aircraft.
The latest award comes as the Army continues to strengthen its counter-drone capabilities, having updated its operational doctrine earlier this year to reflect lessons from recent conflicts and evolving unmanned aircraft threats.
