Military Drones
Q & A with AeroVironment, Inc.
Answers by Aerovironment, Inc.
"AeroVironment's Wasp, Raven, Dragon Eye, and Puma AE have won each of the four U.S. Department of Defense full and open competitions for programs of record involving small UAS, and have been lauded by many experts as a step above other military drones." - AeroVironment, Inc.
Military Drones Questions and Answers
Does AeroVironment, Inc. have experience in designing and manufacturing Unmanned Aircraft Systems or drones for military use?
Yes, AeroVironment Inc. is a leader and pioneer in the manufacture of UAS / Military Drones, with nearly three decades of experience and innovation behind a long history of quality products --- starting with the Pointer unit and evolving into the Raven, Puma AE, and Wasp systems of today.
What are some of the primary uses for UAS?
Unmanned Aircraft Systems are versatile and can meet many vital military needs. For example, AeroVironment's Puma AE, Raven, and Wasp systems have helped to pave the way for military drone usage in surveillance, reconnaissance, border monitoring, pipeline monitoring, citizen protection, search and recover, volcanic and forest analysis, and monitoring of hot zones, and are constantly being used in new and inventive ways in addition to these.
How do AV's UAS systems measure up against competitors?
AeroVironment's Wasp, Raven, Dragon Eye, and Puma AE have won each of the four U.S. Department of Defense full and open competitions for programs of record involving small UAS, and have been lauded by many experts as a step above other military drones.
Is there a lengthy launch procedure or limitations to when launches may take place?
AV's small UAS fleet (Raven, Puma AE and Wasp systems) can be launched quickly, day or night, to provide precise situational awareness whenever and wherever military drones are needed.
Do you offer any training for your UAS?
Definitely. AeroVironment has thorough and effective training courses that cover a wide range of UAS applications and military drone situations. AV's instructors have trained thousands of military and law enforcement personnel, so others will be able to take advantage of every capability that our Raven, Puma AE, and Wasp systems have to offer.
Is use of UAS limited to just the U.S Military?
AeroVironment has made its Unmanned Aircraft Systems available to a wide range of clientele, and the military drones have been implemented by the U.S., as well as an increasing number of allied forces. Localized law enforcement agencies have also made use of the Puma AE, Raven, and Wasp UAS.
What are the advantages of Unmanned Aircraft Systems?
UAS are the future of strategic reconnaissance, and AeroVironment has positioned its Wasp, Raven, and Puma AE systems to lead the charge of military drones that are saving lives by putting personnel out of harm's way, and providing more thorough data than the manned alternatives.
Can UAS stand up to the tough environmental conditions of many modern military hot zones?
Yes. The Raven, Puma AE, and Wasp systems are primed to perform at their peak in some of the harshest environments where military drones are needed. In addition to military work, our UAS have successfully produced scientific data from environments ranging from forests to volcanoes to deserts, and everything in between.
Is support available for the UAS?
Yes. AeroVironment is committed to support and education surrounding the Puma AE, the Raven, the Wasp, and all of the other Unmanned Aircraft Systems, and has been commended for top service and support amongst comparable providers of military drones.
Does AV have professional level clients using its Unmanned Aircraft Systems for military use?
Yes. AeroVironment UAS has seen implementation with the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Marine Corps., DARPA, government law enforcement agencies, and allied military forces. AV's military drones are consistently the standard for top federal, military, government, civilian, and scientific agencies.
Please provide a brief history of AeroVironment's unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).
The market for our small UAS has grown significantly over the last several years due to the U.S. military's post-Cold War transformation, the demands of global war on terrorism. Following the Cold-War, the U.S. military began its transformation into a smaller, more agile force that fights through a network of observation, communication and precision targeting technologies.AV's Pointer in the early 90's was our first UAS to help fight the global war on terror. Since then AeroVironment's Raven RQ-11 along with our other UAS (Wasp, Dragon Eye, Swift & Puma) have become an integral part of transforming the military force because they provide critical observation and communications capabilities.
All of our UAS are designed to be man-portable, assembled without tools in less than five minutes and launched/operated by one person with limited training. Our UAS enable tactical leaders to observer the over the next corner, intersection or ridgeline in real-time. By providing this information, our small UAS reduce the risk to warfighters and to the surrounding population by providing the ability to tailor the military response to the threat.
AV is the largest producer of small UAS in the world today, having supplied over 9,000 UAS across all branches of the military.
What is AeroVironment, Inc?
Building on a history of technological innovation, AeroVironment designs, develops, produces, and supports an advanced portfolio of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and efficient electric energy systems. The company's small UAS are used extensively by agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense and increasingly by allied military services to provide situational awareness to tactical operating units through real-time, airborne reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition. AeroVironment's PosiCharge fast charge systems eliminate battery changing for electric industrial vehicles in factories, airports, and distribution centers.How is AeroVironment involved in military aircraft?
Our main focus is on the small unmanned aircraft systems and increasingly with the HALE UAVs (high-altitude long endurance). Our small UAS product line, includes Raven RQ-11, Dragon Eye, Swift, Wasp & Puma.
Answers by Aerovironment, Inc.
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Drones FAQ
The Raven UAS - The Raven is a small UAS used for surveillance and reconnaissance over certain locations.
The Wasp UAS - The Wasp is a Micro Air Vehicle (MAV), a small Unmanned Aircraft System used by the American Military to gain surveillance and reconnaissance over war zones.
The Puma UAS - The Puma is a small UAS, which is used by the American Military during wartime to get surveillance videos of dangerous battle zones.
The Qube UAS - The Qube is a small UAS manufactured by AeroVironment, Inc. for public safety sectors, such as Police Departments and Fire Departments, to be used in dangerous, emergency situations.
Military Drones - AeroVironment's Puma AE, Raven, and Wasp systems have helped to pave the way for military drone usage in surveillance, reconnaissance, border monitoring, pipeline monitoring, citizen protection, search and recover, volcanic and forest analysis, and monitoring of hot zones, and are constantly being used in new and inventive ways in addition to these.
Police Drones - The Qube is primed better than any other police department drones available on the market today, and the advantage for local law enforcement is the ability to better assess a situation without risking valuable human resources or putting personnel in harm's way.