Australian Military Buys AeroVironment Drones

AeroVironment Inc. is providing its Wasp drone to Australia, the first of the company’s unmanned aircraft to be used by the Australian military, it was announced on Tuesday. The Monrovia company is partnering with three other companies for delivery and maintenance of each aircraft system made up of two 2.8-pound Wasp aircraft and one ground control system AeroVironment develops, builds and tests its unmanned aircraft in Simi Valley. The company joined with Xtek Ltd., a procurer of security and protective equipment for the Australian homeland security market; Sentient Vision Systems, specializing in video analytics; and General Dynamics Mediaware, a supplier of digital video technology. “Teaming with XTEK, Sentient and General Dynamics Mediaware is key to ensuring our customer’s success as its forces rely on the advanced, versatile and life-saving capabilities of our Wasp systems,” said Kirk Flittie, vice president and general manager of AeroVironment’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems business segment, in a prepared statement. Shares closed down 75 cents, or 3 percent, to $24.08 on the Nasdaq.