AeroVironment's Raven Achieves Production, Operational Milestones.MONROVIA, Calif. -- AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) achieved a significant milestone recently in its production of Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle A powered, aerial vehicle that does not carry a human operator, uses aerodynamic forces to provide vehicle lift, can fly autonomously or be piloted remotely, can be expendable or recoverable, and can carry a lethal or nonlethal payload. (SUAV SUAV Study of Unmanned Air Vehicles SUAV Small Unit Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ) systems. The Raven (RQ-11A), a manpackable SUAV used by the U.S. Army and Special Forces in the Global War on Terrorism Terrorist acts and the threat of Terrorism have occupied the various law enforcement agencies in the U.S. government for many years. The Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, as amended by the usa patriot act since 2002, surpassed the 3,000th air vehicle mark for production. The Raven is a 4.2 pound, hand-launched sensor platform that provides day and night, near-real-time video imagery for "over the hill" intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance may refer to:
Building on the success of the RQ-11A, AV was awarded the U.S. Army's SUAV low-rate initial production contract (LRIP LRIP Low Rate Initial Production LRIP Limited Rate Initial Production LRIP Logistics Readiness Improvement Program ) in October 2005 for its "Raven B," which offers significant product enhancements compared to the current Raven A. The LRIP award is the first step in an expected multi-year, full-rate production program of a significant number of Raven systems over the five year POM cycle for warfighters of the U.S. Army and U.S. Special Operations Command A subordinate unified or other joint command established by a joint force commander to plan, coordinate, conduct, and support joint special operations within the joint force commander's assigned operational area. Also called SOC. See also special operations. . AV delivered all LRIP hardware in early November and completed development testing for an initial operational test and evaluation (testing) Initial Operational Test and Evaluation - (IOT&E) The first phase of operational test and evaluation conducted on pre-protectional items, prototypes, or pilot production items and normally completed prior to the first major production decision. scheduled in early 2006. "This SUAV LRIP award is a significant milestone in our 20-year partnership with the U.S. Armed Forces to develop this class of unmanned aerial vehicle," said Tim Conver, AV's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We reiterate our commitment to on-time deliveries of the highest quality products to meet the needs of our nation's warfighters." About AeroVironment, Inc. AV uses emerging technologies to provide its customers with entirely new solutions that increase their competitive effectiveness by enabling them to overcome limitations on productivity, safety and efficiency. AV is the world's largest supplier of SUAV systems and electric vehicle fast charging systems. Raven, Dragon Eye, Pointer, Swift, Puma, and Wasp SUAV systems are used extensively by the Department of Defense and increasingly by other U.S. government agencies and allied military forces. PosiCharge(R) fast charging systems have eliminated battery changing for electric material handling vehicle fleets in factories, airports and distribution centers throughout North America. AV is headquartered in Monrovia, California: www.avinc.com, www.avsuav.com, www.posicharge.com. |
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