AeroVironment Inc. has received orders for drones worth $47.1 million, the company announced Monday. The Monrovia aerospace manufacturer, which has major facilities in Simi Valley, said the orders include its RQ-11B Raven and RQ-20A Puma AE models. The new drones will sustain the Army’s large fleet of Ravens and Pumas. “These contracts assure that American soldiers can continue to rely on our combat-proven solutions to deliver powerful insight, on-demand, that helps them operate more safely and effectively,” Kirk Flittie, vice president at AeroVironment, said in a statement. The AeroVironment Raven is a lightweight hand-launched military unmanned aircraft designed to give ground troops low-altitude surveillance and reconnaissance. The Puma AE is a larger drone that can provide reconnaissance on both land and sea, as it can land in salt water or on the ground. Shares closed down $11.5 or 4.7 percent to $23.23. on the Nasdaq.
