# AV

> AV, legally AeroVironment, Inc., develops military drones, loitering munitions, counter-drone systems, space technologies and mission software. Founded by Paul MacCready in 1971, the company expanded through its 2025 acquisition of BlueHalo and reported $1.977 billion in fiscal 2026 revenue. Its customers include U.S. government agencies and allied militaries.

- **Founded:** 1971
- **Headquarters:** Arlington, United States
- **Founders:** Paul B. MacCready Jr. (Founder)
- **Products:** Puma 3 AE, Switchblade 600, Switchblade 300, 400 and 600 Block 2, JUMP 20-X, LOCUST X3
- **Notable:** Gossamer Albatross crossed the English Channel under human power in 1979., Helios reached 96,863 feet in 2001., AV supplied critical hardware for Ingenuity, which first flew on Mars in April 2021.

## Products & services

- **Puma 3 AE** — Portable reconnaissance aircraft with day/night imaging, water recovery and optional vertical-takeoff and navigation upgrades.
- **Switchblade 600** — Tube-launched loitering munition with an anti-armor warhead, onboard imaging and more than 40 minutes of advertised endurance.
- **Switchblade 300, 400 and 600 Block 2** — A family of loitering munitions serving different payload, deployment and mission requirements.
- **JUMP 20-X** — Vertical-takeoff fixed-wing reconnaissance aircraft with a heavy-fuel engine and modular payload architecture.
- **LOCUST X3** — A 30-kilowatt directed-energy counter-drone system selected for a $464.8 million U.S. Army E-HEL production award in September 2026.
- **AV_Halo** — Hardware-agnostic mission software for command and control, edge intelligence and coordination across platforms.
- **Telerob and VideoRay robotics** — Uncrewed ground and underwater vehicles for hazardous tasks, inspection and defense missions.
- **Space, cyber and mission services** — Space communications and hardware, cybersecurity capabilities, engineering, training and support.
- **MacCready Works** — Advanced development organization combining autonomy, software, sensors and platform engineering.

## Achievements

- Gossamer Albatross crossed the English Channel under human power in 1979.
- Helios reached 96,863 feet in 2001.
- AV supplied critical hardware for Ingenuity, which first flew on Mars in April 2021.
- Completed BlueHalo acquisition on May 1, 2025.
- Fiscal 2026 revenue increased 141%, including 26% organic growth.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Announced Elsight integration partnership for Mayhem 10 connectivity on October 14.
- **2026-10** — Signed a non-binding NIOA MOU covering potential Australian co-production and support on October 13.
- **2026-09** — Reported fiscal 2027 Q1 revenue of $480.5 million and funded backlog of approximately $1.5 billion on September 9.
- **2026-09** — Announced $464.8 million Army E-HEL award for LOCUST X3 production, support and training on September 2.

## Links

- Website: https://www.avinc.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avinc/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/aerovironment
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/AeroVironmentInc
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aerovironmentinc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aerovironmentinc

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/av
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-24