Innovation in Unmanned Systems: Navy Invests $16M in Aerovironment

Aerovironment Inc.,* Simi Valley, California, is awarded a $16,098,922 cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N6833524F0020) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N6833519G0059). This order provides for continued research, development, test, and evaluation of advanced image and video analytics capabilities for unmanned system technologies including the optimization of system design through machine learning and techniques to apply to aerial systems, maritime systems, and multi-vehicle coordination and heterogeneous swarming for the Navy. This contract is in support of Small Business Innovation Research Phase III topic N08-077 titled “Automated Entity Classification in Video Using Soft Biometrics.” Work will be performed in Simi Valley, California, and is expected to be completed in November 2026. Fiscal 2023 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,710,320 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity.