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AV Selected for $499M AFRL Contract to Advance Electromagnetic Spectrum Survivable Materials, Awarded $246M in Task Orders

Friday, October 3rd, 2025

ARLINGTON, Va., October 1, 2025 – AeroVironment, Inc. (“AV”) (NASDAQ: AVAV), a leading provider of advanced research and development innovation for national security missions and warfighter protection, has been selected for a 10-year single-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract valued at $499 million by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for the High-Performance Electromagnetic Spectrum Survivable Materials Advancement (HELMSSMAN) program. Work completed under the program will mature material technology development and deploy protective solutions to the frontlines, guarding warfighters against exposure to harmful electromagnetic radiation.

“As technologies advance and battlespace tactics evolve, AV is helping warfighters stay ahead of emerging threats,” said Wahid Nawabi, AV Chief Executive Officer. “Whether through our autonomous systems, our layered counter-drone technologies, our advancements in satellite communication and space domain awareness, or–like HELMSSMAN–our advanced research and development, we are taking on the most critical challenges and rapidly transitioning innovation from the lab to the frontlines.”

AV has been awarded two initial task orders for this contract valued at $246 million:

Under the “Advanced Development of Vision Protection Materials” task order, valued at $98M, AV will develop a suite of viable electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) protection capabilities that do not increase operational risk or degrade mission performance. The team will research the interaction of EMS elements with materials, systems, and personnel to develop future-proofed vision protection systems for our warfighters.

Under the “Advanced Development of Materials for EMS Resilience” task order, valued at $148M, AV will conduct research on the impacts of EMS sources on U.S materials, components, and systems and provide mitigation options to the warfighter to ensure effective kill chain execution in complex environments. The team will develop test infrastructure and modeling methods to accelerate the fielding of measures validated in realistic environments for warfighter protection.

With these task orders, AV will research, develop, test, evaluate, prototype, demonstrate, and transition technologies to advance the development of vision protection materials and materials for electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) resilience. Work is planned to begin this month.

Leveraging its multi-domain, multi-mission expertise and past performance delivering innovative R&D material solutions to AFRL, AV will advance electronic protection materials through directed energy solutions, test range experience, modeling, and simulation (M&S) capabilities, and space technology transitions. The company has previously supported AFRL through the development of laser-hardened materials and techniques and electronic, photonic, electro-optical, and quantum materials for Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and electronic warfare (EW) missions.

“We have demonstrated unique strengths in managing and executing strategic research programs,” said Dr. John Hogan, Vice President of Advanced Research and Development at AV. “This contract complements and continues our research and development work in material development with AFRL. We are honored to be a trusted partner in this effort.”

The Advanced R&D team at AV, located in Dayton, OH, is dedicated to developing hardened, smart materials that dynamically adapt properties to protect warfighters, their sensors, and their assets, like ground vehicles, aircraft, and structures. With expertise in thermal, optical, and electronic systems, the team identifies challenges and vulnerabilities across various domains and develops material solutions to counteract threats.

Posted in Air Force, Contracts, EW, Materials, Press Release | Comments Off on AV Selected for $499M AFRL Contract to Advance Electromagnetic Spectrum Survivable Materials, Awarded $246M in Task Orders

Draganfly Enlisted by US Army to Deliver Drones on Heels of Developing Drones for Border Security

Friday, October 3rd, 2025

Tampa, FL. October 2, 2025 – Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO) (CSE: DPRO) (FSE: 3U8) (“Draganfly” or the “Company”), an industry-leading developer of drone solutions and systems, today announced its selection by the U.S. Army to provide Flex FPV drone systems.

The Company will also provide both flight and manufacturing training to enable Army personnel to sustain operations, and will manage logistics to ensure a secure, NDAA-compliant supply chain practice. This marks a significant milestone in evolving critical drone capabilities closer to the theater of operations, reducing logistical vulnerabilities and enhancing force readiness.

Recent exercises have underscored the importance of FPV technology for U.S. forces. During the Swift Response 2025 exercise in Lithuania, paratroopers operated and detonated in-house-built FPV drones against dismounted and vehicle-sized autonomous targets. The unit has also established its own drone lab for design, training, and rapid innovation. In August 2025, the U.S. Army executed the first-ever air-to-air kill with an armed FPV drone, advancing the evolution of drone warfare. Draganfly’s Embedded Manufacturing Program and the Flex FPV Drone systems are in direct support of this strategic shift to decentralized and agile innovation.

“We are honored to support the U.S. Army as it moves critical drone capabilities closer to front lines,” said Cameron Chell, President & CEO of Draganfly. “By combining advanced Flex FPV Drone systems, embedded manufacturing, training and secure logistics, we are helping reinforce operational agility and sustainment for forward deployed forces. This helps ensure personnel have the tools, training and capabilities required when and where they need them most.”

For more information, visit www.draganfly.com

Posted in Army, Contracts, Drone, Press Release | Comments Off on Draganfly Enlisted by US Army to Deliver Drones on Heels of Developing Drones for Border Security

Major Order from the USA: Rheinmetall to Supply Artillery Ammunition to Eastern European Customer – Total Worth €444 Million

Wednesday, October 1st, 2025

Rheinmetall has been commissioned to supply ammunition to an Eastern European customer. As a subcontractor to Global Military Products, a company commissioned by the US government, Rheinmetall Expal Munitions will supply 155 mm M107 projectiles with M4A2 propellant charges and 105 mm M1 projectiles to the customer. The total value of the contract is around €444 million. Of this, €170 million has already been booked as a pre-order, meaning that a further €274 million in new orders has now been booked. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2026 and be completed in June 2027.

The order underscores Rheinmetall’s high level of expertise and manufacturing capacity in the field of ammunition. The Düsseldorf-based technology group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of large-calibre ammunition. Rheinmetall has been increasing its production capacity since 2022 and aims to be able to produce up to 1.5 million 155 mm artillery shells per year by 2027.

Rheinmetall is also one of the world’s leading manufacturers of weapons and ammunition systems. Its product range extends from medium-calibre ammunition for armoured personnel carriers and anti-aircraft guns to tank and artillery ammunition, aircraft armaments and high-energy laser applications.

Posted in Ammo, Contracts, Press Release | Comments Off on Major Order from the USA: Rheinmetall to Supply Artillery Ammunition to Eastern European Customer – Total Worth €444 Million

FN Wins US Army Development Contract for the Precision Grenadier System

Wednesday, October 1st, 2025

(McLean, VA — October 1, 2025) FN America, LLC is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a Prototype Project Opportunity Notice (PPON) contract valued at $2 million, by the U.S. Army to further develop its submission for the Precision Grenadier System, a next-generation primary soldier weapon system and family of ammunition that enables precision engagements to destroy targets with increased lethality and precision compared to legacy grenade launchers.

The FN Multi-purpose Tactical Launcher 30mm (MTL-30™) that was designed in the U.S. and will be manufactured by FN America at its plant in South Carolina is a soldier-portable, semi-automatic, medium-velocity, flat trajectory grenade launcher that enables warfighters to engage targets at extended ranges with more effective payloads over existing technologies. After extensive testing, FN’s solution has successfully met the DoD’s key performance criteria while also delivering desired characteristics. In addition, the FN solution is easily manufacturable and logistically supportable due to state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques, ensuring the program will be cost-effective.

“This program is a U.S. Government priority with the shift in modern warfare and engagements, and FN is honored to be selected to develop this new, innovative solution,” said Mark Cherpes, President and CEO for FN America, LLC. “Once developed and implemented, this weapon system could radically change future battlefield strategies. It will offer new capabilities at the squad level and upgraded tactical options, giving the warfighter a more effective system.”

FN’s solution, the FN MTL-30, is the first in this family of launchers and ammunition, as FN works with the Department of Defense (DoD) to help solve one of the world’s most pressing battlefield needs.

“The FN MTL-30 shoulder-fired launcher can engage in close-quarter warfare, defeat targets in defilade, and engage unmanned aerial systems (UAS). It could also be networked with FN remote weapon stations to create a multi-layered defense against UAS,” said John Bungard, Sr. Director, Military Development Programs for FN America, LLC. “Providing solutions that can counter multiple threats is critical for future battlefield engagements. We are excited that the Army is interested in maturing our PGS solution. We are fully committed to this system and its development.”

The FN MTL-30 is chambered for 30mm medium-velocity grenades and features a detachable box magazine with 3- or 5-round capacity. At just 35 inches in length and 8.5 inches tall, the weapon weighs just over 10 lb. The bolt catch, magazine release and safety selector are all ambidextrous, plus there is an M4-style telescoping buttstock with a modular cheek riser. The modular rail system has a contiguous top rail for mounting of visual augmentation systems (VAS) and other devices, plus side M-LOK® slots with a MIL-STD Picatinny rail.

For the soldier, the FN MTL-30 is lighter and more streamlined than previous options. Real time soldier feedback has led to a prototype that is far more user-friendly, incorporating a footprint users will be familiar with due to the M4-style controls, grip and buttstock. The system features a soft shooting launcher with low-felt recoil, enabling rapid target engagement with effective payloads from an extremely controllable system. In addition, FN’s modular system is fully serviceable at the user level and has high parts commonality with existing components.

“The technologies we have incorporated have allowed FN to create a system that is much lighter, more compact and more maneuverable than previous soldier-operated grenade launchers,” said Jim Williams, Vice President, Military Programs for FN America, LLC. “This will improve soldier capabilities on the battlefield, offering a robust solution for close combat, engaging targets beyond 500m or to potentially combat other threats such as unmanned aerial systems.”

Throughout its history, FN has been one of the largest suppliers of small arms to the U.S. military and continues to develop innovative, future technology. In addition to this opportunity, the company currently holds contracts for the FN® M240 and its variants, the FN® M249 lightweight machine gun; the FN® MK 46, MK 48, MK 17 and MK 20 SSR for USSOCOM and various other contracts. FN has decades of experience designing and supplying various grenade launching systems. The company produced the MK 19 fully automatic 40mm launcher, the MK 13 EGLMthat was a part of the SCAR program and currently sells the FN 40GL® standalone launcher internationally.

For more information about FN’s military product line or current U.S. military contracts, please visit www.FNAmerica.com.

Posted in Army, Contracts, Press Release, weapons | 3 Comments »

Two Companies Selected to Support DIU’s Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems – NEXT Project

Tuesday, September 30th, 2025

The DOW and tech companies are leveraging commercially derived components and solutions to rapidly prototype and develop Counter UAS interceptors.

Mountain View, CA (September 29, 2025) — The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has started prototyping commercial and dual-use technology solutions to provide Counter UAS solutions that defeat group 3 and above adversarial threats, ensure the sovereignty of our national airspace, and protect our personnel, equipment, and facilities at home and abroad. Focus areas of the Counter NEXT project include providing a deeper interceptor magazine for our forces while preserving exquisite interceptors for exquisite threats, simplifying and accelerating the reloading process, addressing the cost asymmetry of the current threats and interceptors in use, and integrating with the existing combat systems.

Image taken during flight testing of Zone 5’s interceptor. (Source: Zone 5 Technologies)

DIU and our DoW partners selected Anduril Industries and Zone 5 Technologies to develop prototype solutions for the Counter NEXT program in fall 2024. These vendors were selected from more than 65 commercial and dual-use technology company applicants.

Less than a year later, both vendors completed initial design and developmental sprints and successful baseline flight testing of their proposed solutions. Based on the data gathered, warfighter feedback and knowledge gained during the first sprint, iterative improvements are being made to both systems to ensure the solutions address the capability gap before additional flight testing and safety/qualification testing occur in the months ahead.

Image taken during flight testing of Anduril’s AAV. (Source: Anduril Industries)

Counter NEXT vendors are incorporating commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components wherever possible to mitigate potential supply chain bottlenecks and keep costs low. The vendors are also leveraging modern air vehicle design concepts, ensuring air vehicles are not over-engineered for their intended mission but that they also minimize the use of expensive materials and enable high-rate production that is not possible with the more exquisite interceptors available today.

To enable future design improvements and rapid integration of subsystems and components as they improve, the Counter NEXT prototypes are utilizing a modular open systems architecture and being designed for mass production using modern manufacturing techniques. Additionally, all components of the solution will be qualified and certified to some of the most stringent military standards in order to provide an enduring capability to the warfighter wherever the solution is deployed.

“The Counter NEXT project is focused on leveraging the best-in-breed commercially derived technology and processes to accelerate the development, production, and fielding of these vital Counter UAS interceptors to our warfighters,” said Joshua Zike, Counter NEXT Program Manager for DIU. “While this solution is focused on a specific, pressing subset of the counter UxS problem set, variants for all domains should be developed and deployed to provide this vital layered kinetic counter UxS defeat capability to all our warfighters.”

Following Anduril and Zone 5’s recent successful flight demonstrations, both vendors received additional funding to further refine their rapid prototypes, integrate their systems with the mission partner’s combat systems, and conduct the safety testing required prior to a live fire test event in the summer of 2026.

Posted in C-UAS, Contracts, Drone, Press Release | Comments Off on Two Companies Selected to Support DIU’s Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems – NEXT Project

Draganfly Selected by U.S. Army to Supply Flex FPV Drone Systems

Tuesday, September 30th, 2025

Tampa, Florida – September 30, 2025 — Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO) (CSE: DPRO) (FSE: 3U8) (“Draganfly” or the “Company”), an industry-leading developer of drone solutions and systems, today announced its selection by the U.S. Army to provide Flex FPV drone systems.

Under the initial order, Draganfly will deliver Flex FPV drones designed for high-performance operations as well as help establish on-site manufacturing of the Flex FPV (First Person View) within overseas U.S. Forces facilities to accelerate deployment and reduce supply-chain timelines. The Company will also provide both flight and manufacturing training to enable Army personnel to sustain operations, and will manage logistics to ensure a secure, NDAA-compliant supply chain practice. This marks a significant milestone in evolving critical drone capabilities closer to the theater of operations, reducing logistical vulnerabilities and enhancing force readiness.

“We are honored to support the U.S. Army as it moves critical drone capabilities closer to front lines,”

Cameron Chell, President & CEO

“We are honored to support the U.S. Army as it moves critical drone capabilities closer to front lines,” said Cameron Chell, President & CEO of Draganfly. “By combining advanced Flex FPV Drone systems, embedded manufacturing, training and secure logistics, we are helping reinforce operational agility and sustainment for forward-deployed forces. This helps ensure personnel have the tools, training and capabilities required when and where they need them most.”

Posted in Army, Contracts, Drone, Press Release | Comments Off on Draganfly Selected by U.S. Army to Supply Flex FPV Drone Systems

INVISIO Earns US Coast Guard 10-year Contract for Wireless boat crew Communications System, with a First Order Worth Almost SEK 25 Million

Friday, September 26th, 2025

INVISIO has secured a 10-year Production Other Transaction Agreement (P-OTA) with the US Coast Guard worth up to SEK 930 million. The first SEK 25 million order of INVISIO systems will be delivered in 2025.

Under the agreement, INVISIO will provide wireless interface and integration systems consisting of the INVISIO Intercom system in combination with the new INVISIO Link™ wireless solution, as well as headsets, controllers, intelligent cables, training, and installation materials for all the Coast Guard’s small boats.

The systems enable consistent boat crew communication, overcoming loud ambient noise and adverse weather conditions while reducing manual input for tactical communications.

INVISIO Group CEO Lars Højgård Hansen said: “INVISIO is proud to provide the US Coast Guard with an advanced solution for its boat crew communication system (BCCS) capability gap. This milestone contract confirms our expectation that this product category, including the INVISIO Intercom system and INVISIO Link™, will drive strong growth for many years to come.”

INVISIO Inc. CEO (North America) Ray Clarke commented: “We are excited to continue to work with the US Coast Guard installing the INVISIO Link™ system, connecting crew members with each other, and providing customer satisfaction, training, and ongoing support in executing this contract.”

In mid-2022, INVISIO responded to a Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) Area of Interest seeking solutions to integrate multiple tactical or non-tactical radios via wireless and hardwired links. The aim was to enable consistent and effective two-way communications among vehicular crews, between vehicles, and with command authorities.

INVISIO was selected from over 16 other proposals to refine and deploy its technology solution through DIU’s Prototype Other Transaction Agreement (OTA), which aims to enhance the mission effectiveness of Department of Defense personnel by improving platforms or systems in use by the armed services. The OTA commenced a two-phase prototype demonstrating wired and wireless equipment that could effectively operate in the harsh maritime environment and ultimately enable boat crews to communicate both internally and externally over wired and wireless connections already onboard.

Posted in Comms, Contracts, Press Release | Comments Off on INVISIO Earns US Coast Guard 10-year Contract for Wireless boat crew Communications System, with a First Order Worth Almost SEK 25 Million

Global Military Products Awarded Contract Exceeding $635 Million for 155mm Artillery Munitions

Friday, September 26th, 2025

Award highlights GMP’s role as a trusted supplier to the US Army and extends collaboration with Rheinmetall Expal Munitions

TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 25, 2025 — Global Military Products (GMP), a wholly owned subsidiary of Global Ordnance Holdings, has been awarded a $639.8 million firm-fixed- price contract by the U.S. Army for the procurement of 155mm High Explosive complete rounds in support of the Special Ammunitions and Weapons Systems program.

“This represents a significant win for GMP and showcases our support of U.S. Army requirements in bringing innovative solutions to our customers,” said Mike Quesenberry, Vice President of Ammunition Programs and Engineering at GMP.

As part of this award, GMP will leverage its collaboration with Rheinmetall Expal Munitions to ensure timely delivery of high-quality 155mm rounds that meet the Army’s operational needs. Production is scheduled to begin in 2026, with an estimated completion date of July 10, 2027. The Army Contracting Command, Rock Island, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W519TC-25-F-0388).

This award strengthens GMP’s role as a trusted prime contractor to the Department of War and teflects the comiany’s committement to provide reliable ammunition solutions that support the U.S. Army and its missions worldwide.

For more information, visit www.global-ordnance.com.

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