On January 7, 2024, AeroVironment wassanctioned by the Chinese government due to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.[2] On March 4, 2025, theChinese Ministry of Commerce placed 15 U.S. entities (including AeroVironment) on its export control list, barring the export of dual-use commodities to that business.[3][4]
Gossamer Albatross – In 1979, this human-powered plane flew 23 miles (37 km) across theEnglish Channel and claimed the largest prize in aviation history. Another of these planes is displayed at the National Air and Space Museum.
Gossamer Penguin – A solar-powered variant of the Gossamer Albatross.
Solar Challenger – This plane flew 163 miles (262 km) fromParis, France, to England on solar power.
High Altitude Solar (HALSOL)-This solar-powered unmanned aircraft was sponsored by theCIA in the 1980s as the first unmanned solar-powered aircraft prototyped for national security missions. It was declassified and transferred to theBallistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) in 1993, where it was modified as a high altitude, long endurance (HALE) UAV technology demonstrator capable of becoming weaponized to destroy boost-phase theater ballistic missiles (Boost Phase Intercept).The goal was to develop the world's first "fly forever" HALE UAV that could be configured for national security missions. The program was cancelled in 1995, due to budget reductions in theClinton Administration at which time the aircraft, called Pathfinder, was transferred to NASA. Pathfinder flew flight test missions at NASAs Dryden Flight Research Center before the transfer.
NASA Pathfinder and Pathfinder Plus – This unmanned plane, built by AeroVironment as a part of theNASAEnvironmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) Program, demonstrated that an airplane could stay aloft for extended periods fueled by solar power. After initial successes, the Pathfinder was rebuilt into the larger Pathfinder Plus, which is on display at NASM.[5]
NASA Centurion – The Centurion was an expansion of the Pathfinder concept, designed to achieve the ERAST Program goal of sustained flight at 100,000 feet (30,000 m) altitude.[5]
NASA Helios Prototype – Derived from the Centurion, thissolar cell andfuel cell poweredUAV set a world record for flight at 96,863 feet (29,524 m). It was intended to be the prototype for the production Helios aircraft, envisioned as an "atmospheric satellite". The ERAST program was terminated in 2003, and as of 2008, Helios has not entered production.[5] In actuality, it has been reborn in the form of the Global Observer UAS, currently in development under a Joint Concept Technology Demonstration led byUnited States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM]).[6] The key technology shift was switching from solar power to liquid hydrogen power.
Global Observer – TheLos Angeles Times reported first flight of Global Observer in theMojave Desert in January, 2011.[7] The aircraft waspowered by hydrogen. It appears to have 4 motors with twin-bladed props, a 175-foot (53 m) wingspan, 65,000-foot (20,000 m) maximum altitude, airspeed greater than 120 mph (190 km/h), and 5 to 7 day maximum flight duration.[8]
GM Impact – This was anelectric car, developed as a prototype for a mass-production consumer car.
RQ-11 Raven – a small military UAV. It is hand launched with a wingspan of 4.5 feet (1.4 m) and a weight of 4.2 pounds (1.9 kg), providing color and infrared video to its handheld ground control and remote viewing stations. Over 9,000 Ravens had been delivered or were on order as of June 2008.
Wasp III – a miniature, hand-launched UAV that provides aerial observation at line-of-sight ranges up to 3.1 miles (5.0 km). In 2007, the Wasp was selected by the US Air Force as the choice for theirBATMAV Program.[9] As of 2008, over 1,000 Wasp aircraft had been delivered.
RQ-20 Puma – a small lightweight, battery powered, hand-launched production UAV that provides aerial observation at line-of-sight ranges up to 6.2 miles (10.0 km). Puma's avionics enable autonomous flight viaGPS navigation. It was designed to demonstrate advanced propulsion technologies. It flew in June 2007 for five hours,[10] powered by an onboard "fuel cell battery hybrid energy storage system". A flight in November 2007 lasted more than seven hours.[11] On July 2, 2008, USSOCOM selected the Puma AE variant as its All Environment Capable Variant (AECV) solution.
Nano Hummingbird – Announced in 2011, ahummingbird look-alike drone equipped with a camera, it could fly at speeds of up to 11 miles (18 km) per hour. It could climb and descend vertically, fly sideways, forward and backward, as well as rotate clockwise and counter-clockwise by remote control for about eight minutes.
Switchblade – A miniature, electrically powered, armedunmanned dronekamikaze weapon, for field use. Now deployed in two configurations, the 300 for attacking personnel and the 600 for attacking armor.[12]
Shrike – quadrocopter drone designed for "perch and stare" surveillance, weighs 5 lb (2.27 kg) with a 40 minute endurance while hovering or can land and transmit for several hours.[13]
Snipe – aquadrotor design small enough to be deployed by an individual to collect surveillance. It weighs 5 oz (0.14 kg), can reach speeds of 20 mph (32 km/h) with a range of more than 0.6 mi (0.97 km). It has flight times of 15 minutes, can withstand winds of 15 mph (24 km/h), and is equipped with EO/IR. It is low light-capable and includes long-waveinfrared sensors to take photos or video in day or night conditions. In May 2017, the first 20 Snipes were delivered to an undisclosed U.S. military customer.[14]
Quantix – drone, 40 km range, 45 min flight time, 2.3 kg weight, controlled via encrypted radio, automated, programmed autonomous flights possible, multifunctional camera.[15]
Red Dragon –loitering munition designed for autonomous strike, weighs 45 lb (20 kg) and has a range of 250 mi (400 km), uses visual navigation and target recognition to counter jamming.[16]
As of 2007, AeroVironment held a five-year, $4.7 millionIDIQ (indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity) contract from theU.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to develop UAV propulsion technologies. The contract also provided for specific tasks such as integration of solar cells into aircraft wings, electric motor efficiency improvement, and hydrogen storage systems.[10]
HAPSMobile is a subsidiary ofSoftBank planning to operateHigh Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) networks, with AeroVironment as a minority owner. HAPSMobile develops the Hawk30 solar-powered unmanned aircraft for stratospheric telecommunications, and has a strategic relationship withLoon LLC, a subsidiary of Google's parentAlphabet Inc.
Pathfinder Plus in flight over Hawaii, June 2002, equipped with Skytower communications equipment
AeroVironment owns Skytower, Inc., which was formed in 2000 to develop the technologies and government approvals to use high altitude UAVs as "atmospheric satellites", or high altitude communications relay platforms.[18]
In July 2002, the NASA/AeroVironment UAV Pathfinder Plus carried commercial communications relay equipment developed by Skytower to test using the aircraft as an "atmospheric satellite". Skytower, in partnership with NASA and theJapan Ministry of Telecommunications used the aircraft to transmit both anHDTV signal as well as anIMT-2000 wireless communications signal from 65,000 ft (20,000 m). It was the equivalent of a 12 mi (19 km) tall transmitter tower. Because of the aircraft's high angle,[further explanation needed] the transmission utilized only one watt of power, or 1/10,000 that required by a terrestrial tower to provide the same signal.[19] According to SkyTower's Stuart Hindle, "SkyTower platforms are basically geostationary satellites without the time delay." Hindle said that such platforms flying in the stratosphere, as opposed to actual satellites, can achieve much higher levels of frequency use. "A single SkyTower platform can provide over 1,000 times the fixed broadband local access capacity of a geostationary satellite using the same frequency band, on abytes per second persquare mile basis."[20]
In January 2021, the company acquired Arcturus UAV, the manufacturer of theArcturus T-20 UAV for US$405m.[21]
US$446 million (2022)
US$−10 million (2022)
