Aerovironment Stock Price, News & Analysis

AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) appointed Mary Clum as President of its Space, Cyber & Directed Energy (SCDE) business segment, effective October 24, 2025. Clum reports to Chairman, President & CEO Wahid Nawabi and joined AV in May 2025 via the acquisition of BlueHalo.

Clum brings 25+ years of defense industry experience, directed energy and space systems expertise, and oversight of product innovation and manufacturing. Trip Ferguson will step down but remain briefly for transition. Michael Pace is elevated to Senior VP of Space & DE Mission Systems; Johnathan Jones leads Cyber and Mission Solutions.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) expanded its combat-proven Switchblade loitering munition family with three new variants: Switchblade 600 Block 2, Switchblade 400, and Switchblade 300 Block 20 with EFP. The announcements emphasize multi-domain lethality, MOSA-based integration, and improved operator UX.

Key specs disclosed include Switchblade 600 Block 2 with 20% longer endurance, 100+ km handoff/relay range and IP67 rating; Switchblade 400 at <40 lb AUR and soldier-deployable standoff in <5 minutes; Switchblade 300 Block 20 at 7.2 lb AUR, BLOS in <2 minutes and optional 30 km antenna. AV cited production growth from 40 to 240 systems/month and anticipates >1,200/month with new facilities and manufacturing investments.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) announced the VAPOR Compact Long Endurance (CLE), a Group 2 all-electric VTOL helicopter UAS focused on multi-mission military use.

Key product highlights include up to 2 hours flight endurance (about double typical Group 2 quad rotors), a 50% smaller packout (7 cubic feet, 35 pounds), NVIDIA ORIN onboard autonomy with ATR via AV_Halo VISION and WISARD AI/ML, MOSA modularity supporting 26 payloads, encrypted data link >10 km LOS, and compatibility with AV_Halo COMMAND.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) has secured a significant $499 million 10-year single-award IDIQ contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for the High-Performance Electromagnetic Spectrum Survivable Materials Advancement (HELMSSMAN) program.

The company has already received two initial task orders totaling $246 million: a $98 million order for Advanced Development of Vision Protection Materials and a $148 million order for Advanced Development of Materials for EMS Resilience. The work, beginning October 2025, focuses on developing protective solutions against electromagnetic radiation for warfighters.

AV will leverage its expertise in multi-domain operations and previous experience with AFRL to advance electronic protection materials through directed energy solutions, test range experience, and modeling capabilities.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) has unveiled significant enhancements to its Puma LE small unmanned aircraft system, introducing an integrated Laser Target Designator payload and Universal Gimbal Kit. The upgraded system features Trillium Engineering's HD59 Laser Target Designator payload, a sophisticated EO/IR gimbal system with multi-sensor capabilities.

The enhanced Puma LE now offers over 3.5 hours of flight endurance and includes advanced features such as a 50mj STANAG 3733-compliant laser designator, EO camera, and multiple infrared sensors. The Universal Gimbal Kit enables rapid field-level payload reconfiguration, allowing operators to adapt to changing mission requirements without depot-level support.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) has appointed Johnathan Jones as Senior Vice President of Cyber and Mission Solutions (CMS). Jones, a U.S. Air Force veteran and experienced defense executive with over two decades of experience, will lead the strategic direction and operations of CMS to enhance AV's cyber, mission-enabling, and national security capabilities.

Jones has served in multiple leadership roles at AV for the past 19 years, most recently overseeing the integration of more than 550 employees from the Defense and Interagency Services Business Unit (DISBU). A Tuskegee University graduate, Jones holds a bachelor's degree in aerospace science engineering and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) has secured a firm-fixed-price contract option from the U.S. Space Force Space Rapid Capabilities Office for two BADGER phased array antenna systems supporting the SCAR program. This marks the first FFP option executed under the SCAR Other Transaction Agreement.

The company has expanded manufacturing agreements with key suppliers to strengthen the BADGER supply chain and ensure robust production infrastructure. The first BADGER unit will be delivered to Space Force in the coming months, with additional units scheduled for early 2026 deployment. The Mission Support Container has already been delivered ahead of schedule.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Taiwan's National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) to collaborate on autonomous defense systems. The partnership, announced at the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition 2025, focuses initially on AV's JUMP® 20 and JUMP® 20-X vertical takeoff and landing platforms.

The agreement follows a $60.2 million foreign military sale of Switchblade® 300 loitering munition systems to Taiwan approved in July 2024. The collaboration aims to enhance Taiwan's defense capabilities through co-development, co-production, and co-sustainment of unmanned systems. This partnership aligns with Taiwan's recent initiative to procure up to 100,000 UAS for homeland and infrastructure defense.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) has announced an upcoming investor open house at its Space and Directed Energy facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico on September 30, 2025. The event will feature presentations from key executives including CEO Wahid Nawabi and CFO Kevin P. McDonnell.

The management presentations and discussions will be accessible via live webcast starting at 10:30 a.m. ET. The presentation will also be archived on the company's website for future viewing.