Drone-Maker Touts New Civil-Military Surveillance Suite

AeroVironment Inc., the Simi Valley, California-based maker of unmanned aerial systems, is touting a new surveillance-reconnaissance suite for both commercial and military use.

The so-called Mantis i45 electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) gimbal payload is designed for the company’s Puma AE (All Environment) small unmanned aircraft systems, the company announced Monday at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International XPONENTIAL 2016 conference and trade show now underway in New Orleans.