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AeroVironment Awarded $26 Million Switchblade 600 Tactical Missile Systems Contract by U.S. Special Operations Command

Wednesday, April 28th, 2021

• Switchblade 600 features high-precision optics, more than 40 minutes of loitering endurance and an anti-armor warhead for engaging and prosecuting hardened static and moving light armored vehicles

• Integration of Switchblade 600 into maritime platforms enables precision engagements against naval and littoral threats and greater deployment flexibility

Switchblade 600 is an extended-range loitering missile system capable of multi-domain operations. (Photo: AeroVironment, Inc.)

SIMI VALLEY, Calif., April 27, 2021 AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), today announced it was awarded a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract on March 31, 2021 by the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) for $26,120,810 with $7,159,036 funded upon receipt. The contract includes delivery and integration of Switchblade® 600 tactical missile systems into specialized maritime platforms, scheduled to be completed by January 2023.

“Our team worked closely with our customers to develop Switchblade 600, a loitering missile system that addresses the increasingly complex needs and mission requirements of counterinsurgency operations and those against peer and near-peer adversaries,” said Brett Hush, AeroVironment vice president and product line general manager for tactical missile systems. “Integrating Switchblade 600 into combat platforms, such as the USSOCOM’s specialized maritime vessels, enhances force overmatch, minimizes warfighter exposure to enemy direct and indirect fires and accelerates the maturation of this innovative solution.”

The AeroVironment Switchblade 600 is an all-in-one, man portable solution equipped with a high-performance EO/IR gimbaled sensor suite, precision flight control and more than 40 minutes of flight time to deliver unprecedented tactical reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition (RSTA). Its anti-armor warhead enables engagement and prosecution of hardened static and moving light armored vehicles from multiple angles – without external ISR or fires assets – for precise, localized effects and minimal collateral damage.

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Air Force Research Lab Awards Body Armor Vent SBIR Contract

Tuesday, April 27th, 2021

TEN 97 Inc. is proud to announce that THE AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY (AFRL) has awarded a SBIR/AFWERX PHASE 1 funding grant to TEN 97 inc. (dba – BODY ARMOR VENT®) to develop a group of potential U.S. Military customers for their unique BODY ARMOR VENT retrofit kit panels, and to secure MOU’s for same that say there is a desire/intent to purchase and use said panels with their soldiers’ plate carriers.

The rationale is that BODY ARMOR VENT panels, for the first time in the history of body armor, effortlessly (extremely light weight) and inexpensively, foster increased air movement between base layer and plate carrier, causing much more evaporative cooling under the armor than heretofore.

This cooling and evaporation keeps soldiers healthier, more aware and therefore safer while wearing all forms of armor. The panels also distribute the weight of the carriers better.

They also reduce epidermal issues caused by perspiration that does not evaporate.

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NP Aerospace Wins Sourcewell Defense Purchasing Contract for US and Canadian Market

Friday, April 23rd, 2021

NP Aerospace is one of a select group of defense companies to have been awarded a contract for the sale of body armor and related accessories through Government Agency, Sourcewell.

The cooperative purchasing contract #011221-NPA was awarded to NP Aerospace in March 2021 and runs until February 2025. It covers ballistic armor plates, helmets, shields and bomb disposal suits.

Sourcewell is a Government Agency that makes the buying process easier and more affordable for North American and Canadian publicly funded organisations by combining the purchasing power of 50,000 agencies into a single cooperative group.

NP Aerospace, along with HiCom Armor Solutions Inc, U.S Armor Corporation, Galls LLC and Atlantic Diving Supply Inc. are the first companies in the defense sector to have been awarded the contract as part of Sourcewell’s strategy to grow its presence in the defense sector.

James Kempston, CEO, NP Aerospace, said: “We are honored to be one of the first defense companies in the US to win the Sourcewell contract. It will form a key part of our strategy to grow market share in the US and Canada for body armour and bomb disposal suits. We are already expanding distributor network so adding a direct route for purchasing will offer additional advantages for publicly funded organisations. The great thing about Sourcewell is that contracts are competitively solicited which makes the process easier and more affordable.”

Sourcewell works with thousands of Government, education and non-profit organisations. Adding defense companies to the list of competitively solicited cooperative contracts will add significant value to businesses looking for quality, cost effective defence and law enforcement products from nationally acclaimed suppliers. The five companies were selected as part of a rigorous screening process.

To find out more about the NP Aerospace Sourcewell contract visit www.npaerospace.com/sourcewell

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AeroVironment Receives U.S. Army Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile Systems Contract Valued At Up To $41 Million for Switchblade 300 Tactical Missile Systems Contractor Logistics Support

Friday, April 23rd, 2021

• Award for contractor logistics support approved through Joint Urgent Operational Needs Statement, reflecting high priority requirement and strong user demand from the frontline

• Funded value for contractor logistics support is $13,010,560 with a total potential contract value of $40,852,467

Switchblade 300 delivers unmatched force protection and precision strike capabilities to frontline forces. (Photo: AeroVironment, Inc.)

SIMI VALLEY, Calif., April 22, 2021 –AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), today announced it received a $13,010,560 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract order on March 24, 2021 from the U.S. Army for Switchblade® 300 tactical missile systems contractor logistics support. The contract has a total potential value of $40,852,467, for which funding was authorized via a DoD-approved Joint Urgent Operational Need Statement. Logistics support services are scheduled to be delivered through March 2024.

“AeroVironment provides customers with logistics operation services, such as operator training, flight support and maintenance, to ensure the unmanned aircraft systems and tactical missile systems are operationally ready for deployment at any time,” said Brett Hush, AeroVironment vice president and product line general manager for tactical missile systems.

AeroVironment’s combat proven Switchblade 300 is back-packable and rapidly deployable from ground platforms, including a multipack launcher, providing warfighters with rapid-response force protection and precision strike capabilities up to 10 kilometers (6 miles) from its launch location. Its high precision, combined with specialized effects and patented “wave-off” feature, results in Switchblade’s ability to minimize or even eliminate collateral damage.

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FLIR Wins DARPA Contract Worth Up to $20.5M to Develop Revolutionary New Protective Fabrics for Chem-Bio Defense

Monday, April 12th, 2021

Personalized Protective Biosystems (PPB) Program Will Create Fabrics with Built-In Ability to Fight Chemical and Biological Agents, from VX to Chlorine Gas to Ebola Virus

ARLINGTON, Va.–FLIR Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLIR) announced it has won a contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to rapidly develop novel fabrics with embedded catalysts and chemistries that can fight and reduce chemical and biological threats upon contact. The revolutionary fabrics will be incorporated into protective suits and other equipment such as boots, gloves, and eye protection that can be worn by troops on the battlefield, medical experts, healthcare workers, and more. FLIR received $11.2 million in initial funding for the potential five-year effort worth up to $20.5 million, including options.

The goal of DARPA’s Personalized Protective Biosystems (PPB) program is to reduce the substantial weight and physiological burden of current Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) so soldiers and other specialists can better perform their tasks. PPB will combine novel, lightweight protective materials with new prophylactic medical technologies that mitigate chemical and biological threats at vulnerable tissue barriers, notably the eyes, skin and lungs. The complete system will enable troops and first responders to operate without the burden of carrying and wearing PPE, which can cause heat stress and reduce time spent completing the mission.

“With lives at stake, future operators wearing PPB suits will gain a major edge in staying protected from toxic chemicals and emerging biological threats such as dangerous viruses,” said Mark Stock, VP and general manager of the Sensor Systems business at FLIR. “We’re honored DARPA has chosen us to lead this extraordinary and highly innovative effort to develop first-of-its-kind protective fabrics for our nation’s warfighters, health and public safety officials.”

FLIR and its teaming partners will develop a prototype fabric material, the Integrated Soldier Protective System (ISPS), for testing by government laboratories. Work will be performed at FLIR facilities in Pittsburgh. The ISPS award consists of a two-year base period, two-year first option, and one-year final option. The result after five years will be a suite of prototype protective fabrics and garments ready for transition to a program of record with the U.S. Department of Defense.

FLIR safeguards people and property by providing tools that see and sense harmful Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) substances. For more on FLIR Systems’ threat detection products, visit www.flir.com/threat-detection/.

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DroneShield Reports US Law Enforcement Initial Order

Saturday, April 10th, 2021

DroneShield Ltd (ASX:DRO) (“DroneShield” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce it has received an initial order from a high profile US law enforcement agency.

The order comprises of a mobile system of two passive/non-emitting UAS detection sensors, deployed in a mobile configuration, enabling rapid system setup, for detection and tracking of nefarious UAS. The order is expected to lead to follow up orders with this and other US law enforcement agencies. The payment for the order is expected to be in the current 2Q21 quarter.

Oleg Vornik, DroneShield’s CEO, commented, “We are pleased to continue expanding the breadth of our US customer base, now reaching into law enforcement. It is a large and important market, and this initial deployment will serve as a reference case for expected follow-on sales.”

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Schiebel Camcopter S-100 Performs Maritime Surveillance for Romanian Border Police

Saturday, April 10th, 2021

Vienna, 8 April 2021 – The Romanian Border Police operates the CAMCOPTER® S-100 for maritime surveillance purposes. The Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) service is delivered by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and is also extended to Bulgaria.

Stationed in Mangalia, the CAMCOPTER® S-100 supports the Romanian authorities in carrying out general Coast Guard functions, conducting day-to-day monitoring and surveillance of all shipping including port security, as well as responding to any search and rescue, accident and disaster needs. The S-100 executes these various tasks equipped with an L3 Wescam Electro-Optical / Infra-Red (EO/IR) camera gimbal, an Overwatch Imaging PT-8 Oceanwatch, a Becker Avionics BD406 Emergency Beacon Locator and an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver.

Operations in Romania and Bulgaria are part of the EMSA awarded multi-year maritime surveillance contract for a Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) RPAS, awarded to Schiebel in November 2018. In the execution of this contract, Schiebel provides simultaneous maritime surveillance services to several EU member states and EU bodies. Most recently, the CAMCOPTER® S-100 was operational in France, Denmark, Finland and Croatia.

Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of the Schiebel Group, said: “Once more, we are supporting local authorities with our ‘eye in the sky’. The CAMCOPTER® S-100 has proven its outstanding capabilities numerous times and we are proud to be working with EMSA on supporting EU member states with these vital tasks.”

www.schiebel.net

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AeroVironment Receives Multiple Puma 3 AE Orders Totaling $11 Million from NATO Support and Procurement Agency

Wednesday, April 7th, 2021

• Portable, rugged Puma 3 All Environment (AE) unmanned aircraft system provides immediate tactical reconnaissance capabilities for land and maritime operations

• Four orders received encompass procurement of Puma 3 AE tactical unmanned aircraft systems and initial spares packages

Puma 3 All Environment (AE) unmanned aircraft system delivers real-time situational awareness and actionable intelligence for both maritime and land based operations. (Photo: AeroVironment, Inc.)

SIMI VALLEY, Calif., April 6, 2021 – AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), today announced its receipt of four firm-fixed-price orders totaling $11,527,074 from the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) for Puma™ 3 AE tactical UAS and initial spares packages.

The orders are part of a three-year base contract received from NSPA in January 2020. The contract includes an option for two additional years of logistics support for Raven®, Wasp® and Puma tactical UAS. The total potential value of the multi-year contract is $80 million, encompassing the procurement and sustainment of AeroVironment tactical UAS employed by the defense forces of several NATO countries.

AeroVironment received the orders in October and December 2020, with delivery anticipated by June 2021.

“The Puma AE unmanned aircraft system enables frontline forces to gather real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in any operational environment,” said Trace Stevenson, AeroVironment vice president and small UAS product line general manager. “Puma AE and other products within AeroVironment’s family of tactical UAS use a common ground control station and software, providing increased capability to the warfighter and greater interoperability among NATO forces.”

AeroVironment’s Puma 3 AE unmanned aircraft system is designed for land and maritime operations. The hand-launched Puma 3 AE has a wingspan of 9.2 feet, weighs 15 pounds and can operate for up to 2.5 hours. The aircraft also has a range of 12.4 miles (20 kilometers) with a standard antenna, and up to 37.2 miles (60 kilometers) with AeroVironment’s Long-Range Tracking Antenna (LRTA). It also features reduced system packaging with a flyable configuration and GCS in one case. Capable of landing in water or on land, the all-environment Puma 3 AE and Mantis i45 EO/IR sensor suite empower operators with extended flight time and a level of imaging capability never before available in the tactical UAS class.

AeroVironment’s family of tactical UAS comprises the majority of all unmanned aircraft in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) inventory and its rapidly growing international customer base of more than 50 allied governments. To learn more, visit www.avinc.com.

ABOUT AEROVIRONMENT UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SOLUTIONS

AeroVironment’s portfolio of intelligent, multi-domain robotic systems includes small footprint, runway-independent unmanned aircraft systems. The JUMP® 20, T-20™ and Puma™ LE provide extended range, multi-payload capabilities, and the Puma™ RQ-20, Raven® RQ-11B, Wasp® RQ-12A, VAPOR® Helicopter and automated Quantix™ Recon deliver highly tactical, frontline situational awareness. These solutions deliver increased, multi-mission capabilities and the option of selecting the appropriate aircraft based on the type of mission to be performed. These capabilities have the potential to provide significant force protection and force multiplication benefits to small tactical units and security personnel, as well as greater safety, scalability and cost-savings to commercial operators. AeroVironment provides turnkey ISR and support services worldwide to ensure a consistently high level of mission success.

AeroVironment has delivered tens of thousands of new and replacement unmanned air vehicles to customers within the United States and to more than 50 allied governments. For more information, visit www.avinc.com/uas.

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