The US Army has awarded AeroVironment a $17.58-million contract to procure Red Dragon long-range, one-way attack drones designed for operations in high-threat, GPS-denied, and communications-degraded environments.
The contract was solicited online, received a single bid, and is scheduled for completion by April 8.
In addition to the Red Dragon systems, the award covers battery chargers, ground control stations, launchers, critical spare parts kits, training materials, and field service representative support.
The award follows the first combat use of a one-way attack drone by US forces during Operation Epic Fury against Iran.
Red Dragon
The Red Dragon drone is estimated to have a range exceeding 400 kilometers (250 miles) — roughly 10 times greater than the Switchblade 600 loitering munition previously acquired by the US Army — significantly expanding long-range strike capabilities.
Ready for launch in under five minutes, it carries a 10-kilogram (22-pound) payload, scalable to mission needs.
The Red Dragon measures 7 feet (2 meters) in length, has a 12-foot (4-meter) wingspan, and weighs approximately 20 kilograms (45 pounds).
Designed for Signal-Denied Environments
Unveiled in May, the system is designed for GPS-denied and degraded-communications environments, using a proprietary perception system to detect and classify targets while supporting operator decisions via AeroVironment’s DDIL (Denied, Disrupted, Intermittent, and Limited) radio system.
Red Dragon combines high autonomy, strong electronic warfare resilience, and tactical flexibility not previously seen in its class, enabling it to penetrate contested airspace and execute missions independently without continuous operator control or satellite navigation.
Developed within AeroVironment’s growing tactical autonomy portfolio, it is built on the AVACORE shared software architecture, enabling rapid development, scalable production, and modular mission integration.
Optimized for cross-domain use across air, land, and maritime environments, the system can be quickly operated by small, minimally trained teams.
