AeroVironment Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV) received a $14.6 million production contract from the U.S. Army for its VAPOR Compact Long Endurance unmanned aircraft system, the company announced. The contract falls under the Army's Company-Level Directed Requirement Small Uncrewed Aircraft System, Tranche 2.

The award supports the Army's Medium Range Reconnaissance initiative, part of the military's ongoing unmanned systems procurement efforts. The VAPOR CLE is an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing platform designed for reconnaissance missions.

"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.

The Army's Company-Level Directed Requirement program aims to deliver commercially available small unmanned aircraft capabilities to Brigade Combat Teams to address immediate operational needs. The program emphasizes complete system solutions with modular, reconfigurable payloads for reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition.

According to the company, the VAPOR CLE can carry up to 24 pounds of payload and operate for up to two hours. The system features a folding airframe and compact design that enables deployment from case to flight in approximately two minutes.

AeroVironment develops defense technologies including autonomous systems, loitering munitions, and counter-unmanned aircraft technologies. The Arlington, Virginia-based company manufactures systems for air, land, sea, space, and cyber applications.