AeroVironment, of Simi Valley, Calif., has received a $17.6 million contract for Digital Data Link M1 systems for two unmanned aerial vehicles of the U.S. Army.

The contract, announced Thursday by the Department of Defense, provides for RQ-20B Puma AE II U.S. Digital Data Link M1 and RQ-12A Wasp Block IV U.S. Digital Data Link M1 systems and support. The project falls under foreign military sales to Norway.

The Puma AE II is a small unmanned aircraft vehicle designed for land and maritime operations. It is capable of landing in water or on land.

The Puma can stay in the air for over three hours using a battery and operates at an altitude of up to 500 feet. It weighs only 14 pounds and is less than 5 feet long, making it possible to launch by hand.

The Wasp AE Micro Air Vehicle is a similar small unmanned aerial vehicle, is based off of the Wasp III and is designed to be man-portable. It can stay in the air for up to 50 minutes is only a little over three feet long and weighs less than three pounds. The Wasp operates at up to 500 feet.

Both UAVs are designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and carry common ground control systems which include the Digital Data Link M1.

Work on the contract will be performed in Monrovia, Calif., and is expected to be completed by July 2019. Army fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $17.5 million have been obligated upon award, according to the Pentagon.

Related Links
UAV News - Suppliers and Technology

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Insitu receives contract for ScanEagle UAVs for Afghanistan
Washington (UPI) Jul 25, 2018
Insitu out of Bingen WA has received $10.8 million for a modification to an existing contract for ScanEagle unmanned aircraft systems. The contract, announced Tuesday by the Department of Defense, provides for the procurement of 27 ScanEagles, spare parts and 37 payloads for the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The ScanEagle is an unmanned aerial vehicle with a 10 ft. wingspan that provides intelligence surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance data with high endurance. ... read more