AeroVironment

From leaf blower to quiet drone; Stratospheric 5G; Amazon’s new delivery drone; SAF burns cleaner.

UAV-maker envisions pushing decisions to frontline soldiers, autonomous weapons.

AeroVironment makes two loitering munitions: the anti-personnel Switchblade 300 and the anti-armored vehicle Switchblade 600.

Featuring wingfold design similar to the AeroVironment Switchblade 600, Taiwanese company Hutron's H2B weighs 33 lb. (15 kg), including an 11-lb. warhead.

AeroVironment plans to buy Tomahawk Robotics, a developer of software and hardware to control multiple tactical uncrewed air and ground vehicles at once.

Low Altitude Stalking and Striking Ordnance (LASSO) will be the subject of a three-day “Industry Day” event.

Enabling contrail avoidance; hybrid regional demonstrator; next-generation HAPS; and quantum computing for R&D.

The low-altitude flight test was conducted at Willcox Playa, Arizona, on March 14.

The Pentagon has announced a major new influx of military aid for Ukraine, ordering about $2.1 billion in equipment to bolster the nation’s air defenses.

AeroVironment is planning offerings for two new U.S. Army uncrewed aircraft system programs.

The latest order worth $64.6 million falls within the $231 million contract awarded to AeroVironment for Switchblade 300s several years ago.

Universities advance sustainability, robotic toolmaking, contactless braking and stratospheric batteries.

The company conducted a charge-discharge cycle test of the battery pack in the stratosphere Jan. 30-Feb. 2 with subsidiary HAPSMobile.

Airbus-backed advanced battery developer Amprius Technologies plans to build its first gigafactory in Brighton, Colorado.

That Lilium chose to invest some of its limited financial resources in its battery cell supplier Ionbox has raised a few eyebrows.

The Pentagon on Feb. 24 announced another major batch of military aid for Ukraine just as Russia’s invasion passes the one-year mark.