Marines Order Wasp Micro Air Vehicles

AeroVironment, Monrovia, Calif., was awarded a $19.3 million contract from the U.S. Marine Corps for Battlefield Air Targeting Micro Air Vehicle (BATMAV) systems, each consisting of two Wasp III micro air vehicles, an Advanced Battery Charger, spares and support.

The order followed a successful Marine Corps evaluation of Wasp systems provided by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The Marines procure the BATMAV systems through the U.S. Air Force BATMAV contract, awarded to AeroVironment in December 2006.

With a wingspan of 29 inches and weighing one pound, Wasp III carries one infrared and two color cameras that transmit streaming video directly to the hand-held ground controller for display on an integrated monitor.

"The small size and light weight of Wasp make it ideally suited for deployment directly to platoons, where flexibility, portability and reliability are critically important. We have been evaluating Wasp for some time, and believe that it offers a unique new capability to support our missions around the world," said Maj. James Roudebush, Tier I UAV Program Manager. “These Wasp systems, like the Ravens and Dragon Eyes, help our teams operate more successfully and ultimately help protect their lives.”