At SOFIC, AeroVironment introduced the Wasp AE small unmanned aircraft system and announced that it has been accepted by the US Air Force for inclusion in its battlefield air targeting micro air vehicle (BATMAV) programme. Inclusion into the BATMAV programme enabled the Air Force to place an order for Wasp AE systems valued at $2,447,949.

The Wasp AE represents the continuing evolution of the Wasp small UAS, which was previously adopted by the Air Force and Marine Corps for small unit tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Designed with AeroVironment’s digital data link, Wasp AE is interoperable with the company’s digital Puma, Raven, Shrike VTOL and portable ground control station, and is capable of encrypted communication, beyond line-of-sight operation and voice, video, text and data relay.

Wasp AE also incorporates the smallest of AeroVironment’s Mantis suite of miniature gimbaled payloads, the 275 gram Mantis i22 AE, giving operators both colour and infrared video imagery from a single sensor package. Weighing 2.8 pounds (1.3 kilograms), the Wasp AE air vehicle is designed for ground and water landing, making it suitable for both land and maritime missions, and is capable of 20 per cent greater flight duration than the prior Wasp.