AV Awarded $43M DoW Contract to Integrate PANTHER Phased Array Antenna on SkyRange Platforms for Hypersonic Telemetry

Key Terms

phased array antenna technical

A phased array antenna is a flat assembly of many small radiating elements whose combined signals are steered electronically instead of by physically moving the antenna, like a crowd of people tilting flashlights together to point a beam. Investors care because this technology enables faster, more reliable wireless connections and radar with fewer moving parts, lowering costs and enabling new products and services in telecom, defense, satellites and automotive markets.

telemetry technical

Telemetry is the automatic collection and transmission of measurements from remote devices, systems, or patients to a central system for monitoring and analysis—like a car sending engine, speed and location data back to a dashboard. For investors it matters because telemetry provides real-time evidence of product performance, safety and user behavior, helping assess revenue potential, operational risk, regulatory compliance and whether a product is meeting market demand.

hypersonic technical

Hypersonic describes vehicles or weapons that travel at speeds greater than about five times the speed of sound (roughly over 3,800 mph), moving so fast they behave differently from ordinary aircraft. For investors it matters because development and deployment drive demand for specialized materials, engines, guidance systems and testing services, shaping defence and aerospace spending, supply chains and company valuations; think of it as the difference between a car and a supersonic bullet in terms of technical challenge and cost.

unmanned aircraft technical

An unmanned aircraft is an aircraft that flies without a pilot onboard, controlled remotely by a person or autonomously by onboard computers—think of it as a flying robot or remote-controlled plane. Investors care because these systems create new product and service markets (delivery, imaging, inspection, defense) while exposing companies to costs and risks from safety, regulation, airspace access, insurance, and public acceptance that can materially affect revenues and valuations.

radar technical

Radar is a shorthand meaning that a company, issue or development has been noticed and is being watched by investors, analysts or regulators. Like a blip appearing on a ship’s map, being on the radar matters because it signals potential action — increased buying or selling, closer scrutiny, or follow-up reporting — which can change a stock’s price or a firm’s regulatory and market prospects.

rf technical

rf (commonly written r_f) denotes the risk-free rate — the theoretical return on an investment with no chance of loss, often used as a baseline for valuing other assets. Investors use it like a yardstick: returns above this number compensate for extra risk, so it helps price stocks, bonds and option valuations and guides decisions about whether higher-return opportunities justify their added risk. Think of it as the safe deposit box interest rate against which riskier bets are measured.

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Department of War (DoW) Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) has awarded AeroVironment (“AV”) (NASDAQ: AVAV), the leader in all-domain defense technologies, a three-year, $43M contract to integrate its PANTHER (Phased Array Next-gen Telemetry Hypersonic Emitter Receiver) phased array antenna system on DoW SkyRange platforms. This program will enhance the nation's weapons testing capabilities and accelerate testing timelines by delivering rapidly deployable antenna systems to track multiple targets simultaneously.

“As near-peer threats evolve and global tensions rise, our country is developing the technologies required to maintain military dominance–and the next-generation tracking and telemetry tools to support them,” said Mary Clum, President of AV’s Space, Cyber & Directed Energy segment. “Alongside our customers at TRMC and across the War Department, AV is transforming the nation’s security testing infrastructure with defense tech innovation to address growing threats.”

PANTHER creates a scalable, reconfigurable antenna that supports multi-band, multi-target tracking for various missions and test scenarios. The all-digital framework facilitates autonomous operation along with remote access and control. PANTHER is agile, modular, and platform agnostic–delivering a significant increase in efficacy with a reduced footprint as compared to traditional parabolic dish systems currently used to test long-range missiles. Integrating PANTHER on DoW SkyRange platforms provides a mobile, rapidly deployable air-based solution to track multiple targets.

SkyRange is a DoW TRMC initiative that leverages high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft outfitted with advanced telemetry, communications, and data-collection payloads to create a more flexible, airborne test infrastructure.

“PANTHER provides a reliable, efficient method for gathering the critical data needed for long-range missile testing,” said Dr. Satya Ponnaluri, Vice President of Hypersonic RF and Radar at AV. “Ultimately, this multi-band, multi-target tracking technology will allow for more frequent testing cycles and faster weapons development timelines for our nation–neutralizing global threats and maintaining our strong national security posture.”

This program builds upon AV’s proven experience in delivering transformative testing capabilities–drastically reducing technical risks, development costs, and delivery timelines. AV continues to integrate PANTHER on DoW SkyRange platforms at GrandSKY in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The team is collaborating with the state of North Dakota and Bismarck State College to develop a certification program that will train technicians and build a highly-skilled workforce pipeline in support of PANTHER operation and maintenance at GrandSKY.

About AV

AV (NASDAQ: AVAV) is a defense technology leader delivering integrated capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. The Company develops and deploys autonomous systems, loitering munitions, counter-UAS technologies, space-based platforms, directed energy systems, and cyber and electronic warfare capabilities—built to meet the mission needs of today’s warfighter and tomorrow’s conflicts. At the core of these technologies lies AV_Halo™, a modular, mission-ready suite of AI-powered software tools that empowers warfighters and enables full-battlefield dominance: detect, decide, deliver. With a national manufacturing footprint and a deep innovation pipeline, AV delivers proven systems and future-defining capabilities at speed, scale, and operational relevance. For more information, visit www.avinc.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to, our ability to perform under existing contracts and obtain new ones; regulatory changes; competitor activities; market growth; product development challenges; and general economic conditions. For a more detailed discussion of these risks, please refer to AeroVironment’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events.

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Media Contact:
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pr@avinc.com
703.718.4060

Investor Contact:
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Source: AeroVironment