AeroVironment Donates Drones to West Point

AeroVironment Inc. has donated two Quantix drones to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Cadets in the military academy’s Center for Innovation and Engineering and in the Geography & Environmental Engineering Department will use the unmanned aircraft to learn how to collect data and create actionable intelligence. “We are fortunate to have the opportunity to collaborate with and support the prestigious West Point Military Academy as we work together to advance unique and innovative solutions using the Quantix system,” said Kirk Flittie, vice president and general manager of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems business segment, in a statement. The Quantix is a four-propeller aircraft that takes off like a helicopter and can be operated by an Android tablet. The device was designed to be as easy to use as possible while collecting images with special sensors. AeroVironment designs, manufactures and tests its unmanned aircraft in Simi Valley. Shares of AeroVironment (AVAV) closed Monday up 42 cents, or less than a percent, to $85.74 on the Nasdaq.