AeroVironment (AV) has been selected for a monumental 10-year, $499 million single-award contract by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for the High-Performance Electromagnetic Spectrum Survivable Materials Advancement (HELMSSMAN) program. This initiative is focused on maturing material technology development to deploy frontline protective solutions, specifically guarding warfighters from harmful electromagnetic radiation exposure.
The contract, an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) vehicle, has already seen significant action with two initial task orders totaling $246 million. The first, a $98 million “Advanced Development of Vision Protection Materials” task order, will see AV develop a suite of viable electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) protection capabilities that do not compromise mission performance. The second, a $148 million “Advanced Development of Materials for EMS Resilience” task order, involves researching the impacts of EMS on U.S. materials and systems to provide mitigation options for warfighters operating in complex environments.
Under this strategic research program, AV will research, develop, test, evaluate, prototype, demonstrate, and transition advanced technologies. The work will leverage the company’s expertise in directed energy solutions, modeling and simulation (M&S), and past performance in developing laser-hardened materials for AFRL. The ultimate goal is to accelerate the fielding of validated protective measures, ensuring effective kill chain execution and hardening assets like ground vehicles and aircraft against modern threats. This advanced research and development effort, led by AV’s team in Dayton, Ohio, is critical for transitioning innovation from the lab directly to the frontlines, counteracting vulnerabilities and ensuring national security.
