AeroVironment receives $25M air force contract for health tech

AeroVironment Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV) announced its UES division received a three-year, $25 million contract from the United States Air Force to transition health and performance technologies from research to field deployment.

The contract supports the Air Force Research Laboratory's 711th Human Performance Wing Human Effectiveness Directorate. AeroVironment will advance mid-stage sensor, diagnostic, and material technologies that have remained at Technology Readiness Levels 3-5.

The work will focus on four areas: advanced sensor systems for airframe and pilot integration to monitor physiological and environmental conditions; ruggedized wearable diagnostic tools for medical, chemical, and biological assessments; AI and machine learning-enabled databases and analytics to convert biosensor data into actionable insights; and emerging biotechnology platforms including stress-mitigating probiotics and synthetic biology-based sensors.

"With stringent requirements, harsh operating environments, and limited access to specialized infrastructure, health-focused devices for our military service members have faced unique challenges in reaching operational use," said Dr. Stephaney Shanks, Vice President of Health and Performance Technologies at AeroVironment.

The company will use in-house prototyping and AI-enhanced data analytics to test and advance health-focused technologies. AeroVironment has previously collaborated with the 711 HPW on projects including deploying onboard oxygen monitoring sensors to investigate unexplained physiological events in pilots.

The contract aims to address hardware ruggedization, faster data processing, and enhanced user interfaces to meet Air and Space Force demands, according to the company's announcement.

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