AeroVironment has announced that it received a firm fixed-price order valued at US$7.8 million under an existing contract with the US Army on January 25, 2011.
The order comprises 919 digital module upgrade kits for the US Marine Corps.
The upgrade kits allow digital Raven unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to operate using a different frequency band than provided by the stock configuration.
Funding for this order was appropriated for RQ-11B Raven system procurement in the 2010 US Department of Defense Appropriations Act, which was signed into law in December 2009.
Work is scheduled to be completed by April 30, 2011.
The Raven unmanned aircraft is a 4.2-pound, backpackable, hand-launched sensor platform that provides day and night, real-time video imagery for “over the hill” and “around the corner” reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition in support of tactical units.
US armed forces use Raven systems extensively for missions such as base security, route reconnaissance, mission planning and force protection.
Each Raven system typically consists of three aircraft, two ground control stations and spares.
ADM wonders if this upgrade will apply to the ADF’s JP-129 UAS.