AeroVironment to Produce More P550 eVTOL Drones for US Army
The agreement covers 82 aircraft to be distributed to battalion reconnaissance teams, marking an initial full-rate acquisition of the platform to extend scouting capabilities for the force.
AeroVironment has received a $117.3-million contract to produce additional P550 electrical vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial systems (eVTOL UAS) for the US Army.
The agreement covers 82 aircraft to be distributed to battalion reconnaissance teams, marking an initial full-rate acquisition of the platform to extend scouting capabilities for the force.
This purchase follows a $117-million army deal in March for the same drones, an earlier order last December, and initial deliveries that began in August 2025.
According to the company, the procurement supports the military’s Long Range Reconnaissance program, which aims to equip units with scalable reconnaissance platforms for patrol and intelligence-gathering missions.
It also falls under the service’s UAS Marketplace, a digital procurement portal designed to accelerate drone deliveries to operational units.
“In today’s battlespace, adaptability is no longer an advantage, it’s a requirement,” said Wahid Nawabi, president, CEO, and chairman of AeroVironment.
“The P550 gives maneuver forces the ability to rapidly reconfigure, extend their reach, and deliver effects across domains, all while operating in contested environments where speed and autonomy are decisive.”
The P550
Introduced in 2024, the P550 is an AI-powered system capable of flying for more than five hours across signal-denied environments.
It is compatible with third-party payloads, allowing operators to adapt it to different missions without extensive hardware modifications.
Its eVTOL build enables operations from confined areas, unimproved terrain, and other locations where conventional runways are unavailable.
The drone also features tool-free payload swaps in under five minutes, cutting downtime as well as the need for specialized support.
The P550 weighs 25 kilograms (55 pounds), measures 5 meters (16 feet) long, and has a payload capacity of 7 kilograms (15 pounds).
The aircraft has a controller link range of up to 60 kilometers (37 miles), a top speed of 52 knots (96 kilometers/60 kilometers per hour), and a service ceiling of 4,267 meters (13,999 feet).
Source: Drone front
