Military Vehicles, Ordnance, Munitions, Ammunition & Small Arms

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Army has awarded AeroVironment a $51 million delivery order for additional Switchblade 600 loitering munitions, including Block 2 systems for the Army and Block 1 systems supporting a Foreign Military Sale to a U.S. ally.

The order falls under the Army's five-year, $990 million Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract for Lethal Unmanned Systems, awarded in August 2024. The latest procurement follows earlier orders for the next-generation Switchblade family.

AeroVironment said Switchblade 600 has been fielded with more than 20 Army brigade combat teams since 2025, with hundreds of soldiers trained to operate the system. Block 2 incorporates upgraded avionics, automatic target recognition, resilient communications and improved navigation for operations in GPS-challenged and contested environments.

The system is designed to provide long-range precision effects against armored vehicles and other high-value targets while allowing operators to remain at a distance.

The award adds to AeroVironment's production backlog while supporting the Army's growing use of loitering munitions for distributed operations. The inclusion of a foreign military sale also highlights continued allied interest in unmanned precision-strike systems.

Source: Forecast International
Associated URL: www.avinc.com

WARSAW, Poland - The Polish government has taken delivery of a new batch of K2 'Black Panther' main battle tanks from Hyundai Rotem, Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz stated on August 25.

Hyundai Rotem delivered 28 K2 tanks as part of this batch, according to Kosiniak-Kamysz. The vehicles will be deployed with the 16th Mechanized Division, which is based in northern Poland. The defense minister added that while the tanks in this batch are standard K2 models, future deliveries will include K2PL versions that utilize locally-produced components.

Poland placed a new order for 180 K2 main battle tanks in August 2025, following a first contract for 180. The new contract includes 64 K2PL tanks, 61 of which are to be produced in Poland.

Deliveries of the tanks are expected to run from 2026 to 2030.

Source: Defence Blog
Associated URL: https://defence-blog.com/poland-receives-first-k2-tanks-from-new-6-5b-deal/

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Defense technology manufacturer AeroVironment Inc. will invest $100 million to build a unified company-owned corporate campus in Moorpark, California, consolidating operations from five leased facilities across Southern California.

The 20-acre site will bring research, engineering, design, prototyping, and manufacturing operations into a single location. AeroVironment completed the purchase of the primary property during its fiscal second quarter. Renovation and construction are scheduled to start in fiscal year 2028, with staff relocating in phases until the site becomes fully operational in 2029.

The defense contractor stated that funding for the facility falls within its previously released capital expenditure guidance for fiscal year 2027. The consolidated footprint is intended to streamline development cycles for military hardware, expanding production capabilities to meet orders from the U.S. military and international allies.

The consolidation replaces multiple leased spaces with a permanent corporate asset, anchoring the company's long-term operations in Southern California alongside its broader nationwide manufacturing network.

This move reflects a broader effort within the defense sector to streamline supply chains and shorten production timelines. By shifting from scattered leased facilities to a centralized, company-owned site, defense contractors reduce operational friction and secure fixed infrastructure to meet rising global military demand.

Source: Forecast International
Associated URL: https://www.avinc.com