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Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper Joins Epirus Board of Directors

Wednesday, May 19th, 2021

Esper brings deep strategic insight and operational excellence to support Epirus’ mission and build powerful, innovative products that further national security effortsWASHINGTON – (May 18, 2021) – Epirus, Inc., a Silicon Valley-backed, high growth technology company, today announced that Mark T. Esper, Ph.D. has joined the company’s Board of Directors. Dr. Esper served as the 27thUnited States Secretary of Defense from 2019 to 2020 and the 23rd Secretary of the Army from 2017 to 2019.

“History informs us that those who are first to harness once-in-a-generation technologies have a decisive advantage well into the future. At a time when new, low-cost technologies can empower our adversaries and make anyone a target, America must stay ahead of its rivals as we modernize and protect our national security interests for years to come. Epirus stands at the vanguard of those accelerating military and homeland security applications of game-changing technology to disarm drones used to launch lethal attacks against our service members and civilians anytime, anywhere. Addressing emerging threats and challenges was always a priority of mine at the Pentagon and will continue to be going forward. Epirus has proven itself able to rapidly innovate and adapt in ways that can make it a critical partner to the US government and our allies,” Dr. Esper said.

“Recent drone attacks targeting U.S. forces and concerns here at home underscore the urgent need for the deployment of effective Counter-UAS technology in the field of operations. At Epirus, we have made it our mission to meet this challenging problem by developing a solid-state, software-defined, high-power microwave to disable potentially harmful electronics. We cannot wait for the loss of human life to become the catalyst for change when technology exists that can stop threats today. Adding a visionary leader like Mark to the Board solidifies our ability to bring to market the technology we need to help protect the U.S. warfighter and develop other new applications of our technology for broad commercial use,” said Grant Verstandig, Epirus Executive Chairman and Co-Founder.

This appointment supports Epirus’ commitment to bring in experienced operators to its Board of Directors to guide the company through its next phase of development and growth. The company’s Board of Directors is led by its Executive Chairman and Co-Founder Grant Verstandig, Chairman of Rally Health as well as Founder of Red Cell Partners and an active entrepreneur, venture capital investor, and philanthropist; John Tenet, a Founding Partner at Red Cell Partners and previously a partner at 8VC; Alex Moore, a partner at 8VC as well as a founding employee and Director of Operations at Palantir and Co-Founder of NodePrime; Geoff Lewis, Founder and Managing Partner of Bedrock; Leigh Madden, Epirus Chief Executive Officer; and Bo Marr, Epirus Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder.

Dr. Esper joins the board following the company’s May 6 announcement of an advisory board of powerhouse leaders including: Michael Ovitz, Founder, CKE and Co-Founder, Creative Artists Agency and former President, Walt Disney Company; Sam Palmisano, Chairman, Center for Global Enterprise and former CEO/Chairman, IBM; Jerry Yang, Founding Partner, AME Cloud Ventures and Co-Founder and former CEO, Yahoo! Inc.; Richard Mattera, Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer, UnitedHealth Group; and Jeffrey Grant, Board Member, The Aerospace Corporation and former Vice President and General Manager of Space Systems Division, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems.

epirusinc.com

Posted in Industry, Press Release, UAS | 4 Comments »

Epirus – Leonidas C-UAS System

Thursday, May 13th, 2021

This video depicts a customer field demonstration of the Epirus Leonidas C-UAS System. It works unlike other systems out there, utilizing directed microwave energy to disable electronics.

Thanks to digital beamforming it can disable multiple threats across a wide area or neutralize a single system in tight, crowded spaces. This allows operators to target and defeat UAV swarms.

www.epirusinc.com

Posted in UAS | 1 Comment »

USAF Reaper Mods Targeted to Provide Capability for Near-Peer Threats

Thursday, May 13th, 2021

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) —

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s MQ-9 Program Office is moving forward with several fleet enhancement capabilities aimed at increasing the MQ-9 Reaper’s effectiveness against near-peer adversary threats.

The MQ-9 is an unmanned aircraft with intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike capability, traditionally used for Counter-Violent Extremist Organization combat operations. That mission is now shifting.

The MQ-9 is demonstrating it is still a relevant platform as it supports new missions in United States European Command and is now set to receive a suite of upgrades to allow the platform to offer a host of new capabilities for combatant commanders and warfighters around the world.

The Air Force will award the first delivery order of planned MQ-9 Multi-Domain Operation aircraft – which will include several new upgrades from previous production builds – to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems in April 2021. The Air Force is also retrofitting a portion of the already fielded MQ-9 fleet to the same M2DO configuration, allowing the Air Force to leverage current fleet numbers to meet future warfighter requirements through the service life of the aircraft.

“Working with Air Combat Command and other stakeholders, the MQ-9 enterprise will add new capabilities to the platform to help ensure the MQ-9 is able to support these missions in the threat environment we envision,” said Lt. Col. Nick Jordan, MQ-9 production and retrofit materiel leader. “The user has directed us to add technology into the platform which signals that the MQ-9 can offer more capability than just C-VEO operations over the next 10 to 15 years. It can remain relevant with these added and upgraded technologies.”

The MQ-9 Program Office is already completing initial fleet retrofits that will mitigate potential jamming to the platform. This is the first retrofit of many, as MQ-9 M2DO configured aircraft will receive additional closely-held capabilities that will enable command and control mission assurance and resiliency while the aircraft is airborne.

Additionally, the MQ-9 team will increase the electronic power for the platform. This increase, coupled with concurrent development efforts to create an open architecture design for the platform, will allow the Air Force to rapidly integrate new capabilities in response to emerging threats identified by combatant commanders.

Additional M2DO enhancements also include upgrades to the electro-optical/infra-red sensor and will expand the types of weapons the platform will be able to carry.

The Air Force projects with these smart investments the MQ-9 will remain operationally viable for worldwide operations through the end of the platform’s projected service life of 2035. In conjunction, the Air Force will continue to evaluate options to find a more viable solution in the future.

By Air Force Life Cycle Management Center

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AeroVironment, Inc. Announces Chairman Succession Plan

Tuesday, May 11th, 2021

• Tim Conver to retire as chairman of the AeroVironment Board of Directors, effective at the company’s 2021 annual meeting of shareholders

• Wahid Nawabi, president and chief executive officer, elected Chairman of the AeroVironment Board

SIMI VALLEY, Calif., May 11, 2021 – AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in intelligent, multi-domain robotic systems, today announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously elected President and Chief Executive Officer Wahid Nawabi to succeed Tim Conver as chairman upon Mr. Conver’s planned retirement from the Board of Directors, effective at the company’s 2021 annual meeting of shareholders. Mr. Nawabi joined AeroVironment in 2011 and assumed the role of president and chief executive officer in May 2016.

Tim Conver has served as a member of the AeroVironment Board of Directors since 1988 and assumed the role of president in 1991, then chief executive officer in 1992. Mr. Conver was elected chairman of AeroVironment’s Board of Directors in 2007, upon the retirement of founder Dr. Paul MacCready, Jr. During his tenure, Mr. Conver led AeroVironment’s transformation into a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), tactical missile systems (TMS) and high-altitude, pseudo-satellites (HAPS), leading the company’s initial public offering in 2007 and growing annual revenue from $10 million to $264 million in fiscal year 2016.

“As part of our commitment to strong corporate governance, the AeroVironment Board of Directors maintains an ongoing and deliberate process for managing succession,” said Arnold Fishman, lead independent director. “Tim Conver has served AeroVironment as a visionary leader and a disciplined Chairman of the Board whose contributions have molded the company into the recognized leader in our industry. Wahid’s track record of effective leadership and demonstrated results as chief executive officer, which include three consecutive years of profitable, double-digit revenue growth, are fundamental to the Board’s decision to elect Wahid as the next Chairman. We are excited to welcome Wahid to this new role as part of our planned succession process.”

“On behalf of AeroVironment’s Board of Directors, I thank Tim for his vision, determination and guidance,” said Wahid Nawabi. “Tim helped cultivate a unique company culture focused both on defining the future in our markets and allowing us to deliver uniquely valuable solutions that help our customers and employees Proceed with Certainty. Tim’s leadership and mentorship have resulted in countless American and allied lives saved as a result of our innovative UAS and TMS solutions.”

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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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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.

Posted in Army, Contracts, Press Release, UAS | Comments Off on 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

AeroVironment Celebrates Historic First Powered Flight on another World by Mars Ingenuity Helicopter

Wednesday, April 21st, 2021

AeroVironment Mars Ingenuity Helicopter Program team members Sara Langberg, Peter Zwaan, Joey Beckman, Ben Pipenberg, Jeremy Tyler and Matt Keennon celebrate Ingenuity’s successful first flight. (Photo: AeroVironment, Inc.)

SIMI VALLEY, Calif., April 20, 2021 – AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), celebrated with its colleagues at NASA/JPL when data confirming the Ingenuity Helicopter’s successful first flight on Mars arrived at approximately 3:50 a.m. PT on April 19.

“AeroVironment is proud to have played a key role in developing the Mars Ingenuity Helicopter and achieving today’s historic first powered flight on another planet,” said Wahid Nawabi, AeroVironment president and chief executive officer. “We congratulate JPL and NASA on today’s achievement and salute their leadership and vision for deploying unmanned technology to further our understanding of other worlds.”

Since 2013, the AeroVironment team has worked closely with NASA rotorcraft experts and with JPL electrical, mechanical, materials, vehicle flight controls, and systems engineers on the Mars Ingenuity Helicopter project. AeroVironment’s contributions to Ingenuity include the design and development of the helicopter’s airframe and major subsystems, including its rotor, rotor blades, hub and control mechanism hardware. AeroVironment also developed and built high-efficiency, lightweight propulsion motors, power electronics, landing gear, load-bearing structures, and the thermal enclosure for NASA/JPL’s avionics, sensors, and software systems.

“AeroVironment’s deep, rich and diverse history of designing reliable and effective unmanned solutions that deliver mission success in extreme environments, combined with our experience with near-space aircraft, make us uniquely suited to collaborate with NASA and JPL,” Nawabi said. “We also incorporated the ultra-lightweight and ultra-high-precision methods integral to Nano projects that have been developed in our MacCready Works Advance Solutions laboratory, where we’ve assembled a dedicated team of the industry’s brightest and most experienced engineers to solve some of today’s greatest technological challenges.

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AeroVironment Awarded $45 Million Option for Switchblade Tactical Missile Systems Under U.S. Army Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile Systems Contract

Tuesday, April 20th, 2021

• Combat proven Switchblade 300 with patented “wave-off” feature and recommit ability provides operators with increased lethality, reach and precision strike capabilities with low collateral effects

• Contract option includes first approved export to an allied nation, extending Switchblade’s unique capabilities to friendly forces and promoting interoperability for joint operations

Switchblade 300 is a back-packable and rapidly-deployable tactical missile system for use against beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) targets. (Photo: AeroVironment, Inc. )

SIMI VALLEY, Calif., April 20, 2021 –AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), today announced the U.S. Army has exercised an option on its Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile Systems (LMAMS) contract for additional Switchblade® 300 tactical missile systems for the Army and for export to an allied nation. The $44,961,751 contract option increases the total value of the contract to $122,523,677. Delivery will take place over a two-year period.

AeroVironment received the contract option on March 16, 2021 and it will be managed by the U.S. Army Contracting Command – Redstone Arsenal and the U.S. Department of Defense Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.

“Switchblade is a versatile, combat-proven loitering missile that offers a unique combination of portability, precision, rapid deployment and collateral damage avoidance capabilities to our customers,” said Brett Hush, AeroVironment vice president and product line general manager for tactical missile systems. “The adoption of Switchblade systems across the U.S. armed forces, and now by the first allied nation, reflects its compelling capabilities and its potential for joint interoperability.”

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