WASHINGTON, 8 Aug. 2007. AeroVironment Inc. (AV), a leader in unmanned aircraft systems and electric energy systems, announced that the U.S. Air Force has taken delivery of its initial BATMAV micro unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), which include the Wasp III air vehicle, as planned under the Air Force Beyond Line of Site (BLOS) program. AV received the BATMAV, or Battlefield Air Tactical Micro Air Vehicle, award in December 2006. AV received orders for 30 systems through the program's indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract which provides for purchases of up to $45 million over a period of five years.

Wasp III has a wingspan of 29 inches, weighs 1 pound and carries integrated forward and side looking electro-optical color cameras as well as a modular forward or side-looking electro-optical or infrared payload. The system is backpackable and is capable of operating for up to 45 minutes at up to 5 kilometers from the transceiver. AV designed the system to support the Air Force's Battlefield Airman Operators Kit. Wasp III is a block III version of the Wasp micro UAS, which AV developed under a contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

"We are now eager to place new BATMAV systems into the hands of Air Force personnel on the battlefield so that they can operate more effectively and safely," says John Grabowsky, executive vice president and general manager of unmanned aircraft systems for AV. "While Wasp III weighs only 1 pound, it provides many advanced technologies proven to be of extraordinary value across U.S. military services. The Wasp III system can be operated with the same common ground control and user interface as AV's Raven and Puma small UAS. This IDIQ is designed to enable other U.S. armed services to order these systems through the BLOS program, in addition to facilitating the procurement of BATMAV systems by the Air Force."