AeroVironment Inc

Overview

AeroVironment Inc. is a defense-technology company developing autonomous systems and other capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. Its products include unmanned aircraft and loitering munitions, counter-UAS systems, underwater vehicles, space platforms, directed-energy systems, and cyber and electronic-warfare technologies; it also provides related engineering, training, repair, and support services.[1]+5

The company’s stated mission is “Inventing Advantage.” [7] Its customers include U.S. government and allied foreign-government organizations, and it describes an international manufacturing footprint.[1][6] For FY2026, ended April 30, 2026, AeroVironment reported revenue of $1.977 billion.[8] As of April 30, 2026, it reported 3,991 full-time and 100 part-time employees.[9] [1]+8

Products & services

AeroVironment’s unmanned aircraft products include small UAS such as Puma LE, Puma 3 AE, Puma VTOL, P550, Raven B and VAPOR 55 CLE, and medium UAS including JUMP 20, JUMP 20-X and T-20. The small systems emphasize portable, quiet electric operation and real-time observation and communications; the medium systems are field-deployable platforms with extended endurance and greater payload capacity. Its AV_Halo software ecosystem, including Kinesis, provides modular, hardware-agnostic command and control across air, land, sea, space and cyber operations.[10]+2

Its precision-strike and loitering-munition portfolio includes Switchblade 300, 400 and 600, plus Red Dragon, an autonomous-capable one-way-attack UAS designed for GPS-denied and low-bandwidth conditions, and Mayhem 10, a multi-role launched effect for ISR, electronic warfare, decoy, communications relay and precision strike. Blackwing provides ISR. Counter-UAS products include Titan systems for RF detection and defeat, including Titan 4 for detecting and intercepting Group 1–2 drones, Titan SV MPV3 with 360-degree surveillance, and Titan-MS, which combines Titan 4 with radar and EO/IR sensors. Freedom Eagle (FE-1) is a kinetic interceptor for Group 3 UAS and larger aerial threats.[13][2]

AeroVironment also offers electronic-warfare systems using open architectures and AI/ML for RF analysis, and LOCUST directed-energy systems that use high-energy lasers and AI-enabled targeting. LOCUST X2 is rated at 20–25 kW; X3 is rated at 20–35+ kW and designed to counter Group 1–3 UAS. Services include product training, spare parts, repair and replacement, as well as contract repair and maintenance, engineering, development and prototyping, technical support, ISR, and customer-funded R&D.[3]+3

In FY2026, product sales accounted for 71.6% of revenue and contract services for 28.4%; the company does not disclose revenue shares for individual named products.[15][8] [10]+10

Geographic presence

AeroVironment’s principal facilities are in the United States. As of April 2026, its headquarters were in Arlington, Virginia, with major facilities in Simi Valley and Moorpark, California; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Huntsville, Alabama. It also listed facilities in California, Maryland, Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Texas and Ohio. Outside the United States, it had a business-development and program-management support location in Hampton Bishop, United Kingdom, and a facility in Stuttgart, Germany, supporting administration, R&D, logistics, testing and unmanned ground vehicle manufacturing.[16]

In FY2026, revenue by customer location was $1.420 billion domestic and $556.4 million international, or approximately 71.8% and 28.2% of total revenue, respectively.[17] International sales include foreign military sales through the U.S. Department of Defense and direct commercial sales to allied nations. No single foreign country accounted for more than 10% of FY2026 sales; the disclosures do not specify revenue by individual country.[18]+2 [16]+4

Business segments

AeroVironment reports two business segments. **Autonomous Systems (AxS)** designs, develops, produces, delivers and supports intelligent uncrewed systems across air, land and sea, including aircraft, underwater vehicles and ground robots. **Space, Cyber, and Directed Energy (SCDE)** focuses on space- and ground-based platforms, cyber capabilities and directed-energy systems, including high-energy lasers.[21][22]

In the latest reported quarter, Q1 FY2027, AxS generated approximately **72%** of revenue and SCDE approximately **28%**.[23] These shares are calculated from reported Q1 segment and total revenue.[24] For context, FY2026 revenue was approximately **68.7% AxS** and **31.3% SCDE** under the segment structure then in effect. Autonomous R&D moved from AxS to SCDE effective May 1, 2026, so the FY2026 and FY2027 segment shares are not fully comparable.[25] [21]+9

Company history

Founded in 1971 by engineer and aircraft designer Dr. Paul B. MacCready Jr., AeroVironment first became known for human-powered aircraft. Its Gossamer Condor won the Kremer Prize in 1977, and the Gossamer Albatross crossed the English Channel in 1979, the first human-powered aircraft to do so.[27]+2

The company expanded into uncrewed aircraft, developing a portable, hand-launched drone in the 1980s and later competing for U.S. Department of Defense small-UAS programs. The U.S. Army adopted its Raven system in 2005. AeroVironment became a public company in 2007.[30]+2

In 2016, Wahid Nawabi succeeded Tim Conver as CEO. AeroVironment introduced a broader Switchblade loitering-munition family in 2020. From 2021 onward, it expanded through acquisitions including Arcturus, Telerob, Planck Aerosystems, Tomahawk Robotics, BlueHalo and ESAero.[33]+2 [27]+16

Sources

• AeroVironment Inc — Full financial report (2026 Y)
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• AeroVironment Inc — Full financial report (2027 Q 1)[23][24]
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• www.si.edu[28]
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