AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (NASDAQ: AVAV) has announced the General Directorate for Aircraft Weapon Systems (MoD - Italy) has issued a Military Aircraft Type-Classification Certificate for the Raven B unmanned aircraft system, the first such certificate issued in Italy in the Micro-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle category. This certificate permits Italian military personnel to fly Raven in Italy’s national airspace.

Italian MoD sources indicated this decision highlights two key advantages to the Raven B System: high reliability and semiautonomous behavior, which permits flights over highly populated areas without limitation; as well as light weight and simple operation. AV anticipates that other NATO countries will pursue similar Raven B certification within their respective countries. In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration has chartered an Aviation Rulemaking Committee to provide recommendations as to how to safely integrate small UAS into the National Airspace System.

AV’s Raven 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. U.S. and allied armed forces use Ravens extensively for missions such as base security, route reconnaissance, mission planning and force protection. In addition to Raven, AV’s small UAS include Puma AE and Wasp, which are also hand-launched and controlled by AV’s hand-held ground control station. AV’s UAS logistics operation supports systems deployed worldwide to ensure a consistently high level of operational readiness. AV has delivered more than 11,000 small unmanned aircraft to date. International purchasers of Raven include Italy, the Netherlands,Denmark, Australia, and Spain.

Select this graphic of the Wasp + PUMA for additional information...





hgl