AeroVironment has been awarded a $14.6 million production contract by the U.S. Army for the VAPOR Compact Long Endurance unmanned aircraft system under the Company-Level Directed Requirement Small Uncrewed Aircraft System program, Tranche 2.

The award supports the Army’s Medium Range Reconnaissance initiative, which delivers commercially available SUAS capabilities to Brigade Combat Teams to meet immediate operational needs. The CoLvl DR approach emphasizes UAS as a complete system with modular, reconfigurable, and attritable payloads for reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition, with an explicit mandate for soldier-driven experimentation to shape future requirements.

The VAPOR CLE is an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing helicopter UAS designed for austere environments ranging from Arctic terrain to contested maritime conditions. The platform carries up to 24 pounds of payload — including lethal munitions — and delivers up to two hours of endurance. Its folding airframe enables case-to-flight in as little as two minutes. The system uses a modular open architecture and multi-sensor payload bay and is designed to operate in GPS and RF-contested environments.

“Being selected for the Company-Level Directed Requirement validates VAPOR CLE’s performance, adaptability, and mission value,” said Jason Hendrix, Vice President and General Manager of SUAS at AeroVironment. “This award reflects AV’s commitment to delivering operationally relevant, rapidly deployable solutions that meet the Army’s urgent needs and evolving mission requirements.”