U.S. Army taps AeroVironment, Edge for new Recon Drones

The U.S. Army has awarded contracts to AeroVironment and Edge Autonomy to rapidly deliver the first Long-Range Reconnaissance (LRR) unmanned aircraft systems.

The systems selected — AeroVironment’s P550 and Edge Autonomy’s Stalker Block 35X — are Group 2 drones designed to provide Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition (RSTA) at the maneuver battalion level.

According to the Army, the open systems architecture of both platforms allows for rapid integration of additional mission capabilities to meet evolving operational needs.

The Army said the LRR initiative is aimed at supplying battalion commanders with an organic reconnaissance and targeting capability. Fielding is expected to begin later this year under the Transformation in Contact 2.0 program, with operator training established in a way that is Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) agnostic, enabling any Soldier to operate the platforms.

Officials emphasized that the effort also supports the Secretary of Defense’s July memorandum on “Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance,” underscoring the Army’s role in advancing unmanned systems for combat operations. The Program Executive Office Aviation, through its UAS Project Office, is managing delivery and training for the new capability.

On August 20, AeroVironment announced the first delivery of its P550 small unmanned aircraft system to Army units. The company said the delivery included multiple systems along with new equipment training and train-the-trainer instruction to ensure readiness for integration into Transformation in Contact brigades and other units.

“We are proud to deliver the P550 to Army units, empowering warfighters with a system that can quickly adapt to fluid combat scenarios, providing unmatched reliability and flexibility,” said Trace Stevenson, AeroVironment’s President of Autonomous Systems. “Our team remains committed to supporting the Army with seamless delivery, training, and sustainment to ensure these systems are ready when needed.”

The company described the P550 as its latest Group 2 eVTOL drone built with a Modular Open Systems Approach. The system has payload capacity of up to 15 pounds, endurance of five hours on battery power, and a gross takeoff weight of 55 pounds. AeroVironment said the P550 can be reconfigured in less than five minutes without tools, allowing payload and battery swaps in the field.

Edge Autonomy also confirmed the performance of its Stalker system in exercises, stating that the drone successfully provided intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and precision targeting data for long-range artillery teams. The company highlighted its participation in Northern Strike, a large-scale exercise involving U.S. and partner forces training for joint operations across multiple domains.

By working with multiple vendors, the Army said it intends to foster competition to deliver the most effective solutions to Soldiers quickly. Officials added that additional selections are anticipated under the LRR program as requirements evolve.

The integration of these systems provides a new layer of organic reconnaissance and targeting capability at the tactical level, reflecting the Army’s emphasis on speed, adaptability, and resilience in contested environments.