Facts

• Company: AeroVironment
• Product type: UAV
• Status: commercial
• Website: https://www.avinc.com/solution/p550/

Profile sections

• Summary
• Overview
• Market context
• Audience
• Workflow
• Capability
• Deployment environment
• Positioning tags
• Specifications
• Tags
• Timeline / Research
• Operations Claims / Customers and deployments
• Comparable Systems
• Sources

Summary

P550 is AeroVironment autonomous Group 2 eVTOL uncrewed aircraft system. It is designed for rapid-deploy ISR, targeting and force-protection missions with modular payload and battery options.

Overview

P550 is AeroVironment autonomous Group 2 eVTOL uncrewed aircraft system. It is designed for rapid-deploy ISR, targeting and force-protection missions with modular payload and battery options.

Market context

Electric vertical-takeoff tactical UAS from AeroVironment's Group 2 portfolio, designed to bridge small field-deployable drones and larger endurance aircraft with modular payload support.

• Target environment: Defence field operations and tactical reconnaissance environments.
• Workflow context: Tactical ISR, target reconnaissance, remote operation and mission payload deployment.
• Deployment model: Military UAV platform operated by defence users for mission-configured tactical work.
• Commercial maturity: Publicly introduced defence UAV platform with customer-facing product material.
• Adoption constraints: Requires defence procurement, operator training, payload configuration and rules of engagement for armed roles.
• Market position: Tactical UAV platform extending AeroVironment's defence UAV range into larger mission-configured aircraft.
• Adjacent products: Positioned above Puma-class small UAS in AeroVironment's defence product stack.

Audience

Defense

Workflow

Tactical ISR, target reconnaissance, remote operation and mission payload deployment.

Capability

UAV

Deployment environment

Defence field operations and tactical reconnaissance environments.

Positioning tags

• Audience: Defense
• Workflow: Tactical ISR, target reconnaissance, remote operation and mission payload deployment.
• Capability: UAV
• Deployment environment: Defence field operations and tactical reconnaissance environments.

Specifications

• Endurance: 5 hours+
• Packout Dimensions: 1.83 m x 0.61 m x 0.61 m / 6 ft x 2 ft x 2 ft
• Communication Range: 25-37 mi depending on GCS radio
• Form Type: Group 2 electric VTOL UAS
• Dimensions: 5.18 m x 2.74 m x 0.61 m / 17 ft x 9 ft x 2 ft
• Takeoff Weight: 24.95 kg
• Operational Role: Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
• Payload Capacity Kg: 6.8 kg

Tags

• Peer Group: Tactical ISR UAV
• Workflow: Drone ISR, Tactical reconnaissance
• Deployment Environment: Defence operational environment
• Stack Layer: Finished robot platform
• Commercial Stage: Commercial product

Timeline / Research

• 2025-08-20 - Deployment - AeroVironment delivers initial P550 eVTOL UAS to US Army - The P550 delivery supported the Army’s LRR program for battalion-level reconnaissance and surveillance.

Operations Claims / Customers and deployments

• Contract Ceiling Usd - US$874 million IDIQ ceiling - 2025-12-08 - U.S. Army Contracting Command - foreign military sales UAS and C-UAS procurement - U.S. Army Contracting Command awarded AeroVironment a five-year IDIQ c…
• Initial P550 Delivery Status - initial P550 autonomous Group 2 eVTOL UAS delivered to U.S. Army - 2025-08-20 - U.S. Army - Army reconnaissance UAS - AeroVironment delivered initial P550 autonomous Group 2 eVTOL unmanned…

Comparable Systems

• IC Drone - Duke Robotics - UAV
• Fury - Anduril Industries - UAV
• IAI Heron - Israel Aerospace Industries - UAV
• Zephyr HAPS - AALTO - UAV
• Vector AI - Quantum Systems - Tactical Isr Drone
• ZY-E4 - Beijing Zhuoyi Intelligent - UAV
• AM - PDW - UAV
• METIS - TYTAN Technologies - UAV