AeroVironment receives additional US Army RQ-11B Raven funding

AeroVironment has received additional $16,472,298 in funding from the US Army to deliver RQ-11B Raven UAV systems, payloads and spares under a contract dated 10 August 2012. The initial contract was issued on 1 June, and this latest contract action brings the total projected value to $65,889,191.

Under the contract, AeroVironment will deliver RQ-11B Raven systems, new miniature gimbaled payloads and initial spares packages, with of systems, spares and payloads is scheduled for completion by 30 June 2013.

The payload is the ruggedized, multi-axis Mantis i23 payload for the Raven system, which weighs 450 grams, and houses an electro-optical and infrared thermal video sensor in addition to a laser illuminator. The single payload replaces two separate sensor payloads on the Raven air vehicle, delivering daytime and night-time capabilities from a single package.

According to AeroVironment, the payload is being integrated into the Raven ‘because of its reliability in providing superior imagery and tracking capability in harsh environments’.

The RQ-11B Raven UAS is a 4.2-pound, backpackable, hand-launched sensor platform that provides day and night, real-time video imagery wirelessly to a portable ground control station 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.