AeroVironment, Inc., a global defence technology company, has been awarded a three-year, $500 million Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to support Joint Interagency Task Force 401’s (JIATF-401) Domestic Shield Program.
Under the sole-source contract, AV will provide Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) and Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-sUAS) capabilities for use by the Department of War (DoW) for force protection, base defence and counter-UAS operations in support of the Domestic Shield Program. The DoW announced the award on July 1.
“Domestic Shield is about protecting Americans where they live and work, and safeguarding the critical infrastructure that underpins our economy and national security,” said Wahid Nawabi, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer at AV. “This award reflects strong confidence in AV, our people and our technology and it reinforces the shared obligation we have to stay ahead of rapidly evolving drone threats, not only in contested theaters abroad, but in the skies over our own communities.”
The Domestic Shield Program is a JIATF-401 initiative designed to advance a more proactive and scalable domestic counter-UAS posture. The programme expands defensive perimeters, streamlines threat identification, strengthens interagency data sharing and operational coordination, enables trained contractor support, and delegates protection authorities to better defend high-risk facilities and critical assets against evolving drone threats.
In April, the Department of War announced that JIATF-401 had committed more than $600 million at a record pace to strengthen counter-unmanned aircraft systems capabilities in support of Operation Epic Fury and homeland defence.
“JIATF-401’s single measure of effectiveness is to rapidly deliver counter drone capabilities to our warfighters at home and abroad,” said Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, Director of JIATF-401. “By investing in the latest technology, we are adding another tool in a layered defense so we can respond swiftly and effectively to any illicit drone threats.”
AV delivers an integrated, layered counter-UAS architecture providing persistent detection, tracking, identification and defeat capabilities across a range of operational environments. At the core of this architecture is AV_Halo™, which serves as an integration layer connecting sensors, platforms and operators while enabling interoperability with third-party technologies, command-and-control systems and emergency response networks.
AV also offers a layered counter-UAS portfolio designed to detect, track, identify and defeat drone threats across military installations, critical infrastructure and contested environments. AV_Halo™ is a modular suite of AI-powered software tools designed to support warfighters across the counter-UAS mission, from detection and decision-making through engagement. With a national manufacturing footprint and an innovation pipeline, AV is positioned to deliver counter-UAS capabilities at speed and scale.
