Air system · eVTOL Tactical ISR Drone
AeroVironment P550
Reconnaissance / ISR / Force Protection
Also known as: P550 / AV P550 / Army eVTOL ISR
AeroVironment P550 overview
The AeroVironment P550 is an electric VTOL tactical drone designed to give ground units persistent aerial surveillance without requiring runways, catapults, or recovery nets. It represents AeroVironment's evolution beyond the fixed-wing Raven and Puma platforms that built the company's reputation, into the eVTOL category that offers greater operational flexibility in the constrained terrain environments where forward-deployed forces typically operate — urban areas, mountainous terrain, and jungle, where flat open ground for fixed-wing operations is unavailable.
The P550 is built around a modular payload architecture that accepts multiple sensor types: EO/IR gimbals for direct observation, wide-area motion imagery sensors for persistent tracking of activity across large areas, LiDAR for terrain mapping, and signals intelligence packages. Its digital backbone is designed for integration with Army command and control systems under the JADC2 architecture, allowing imagery and sensor data to be shared automatically with higher headquarters and adjacent units through encrypted datalinks without requiring operators to manually relay information.
In July 2026 the U.S. Army awarded AeroVironment a $117 million first full-rate production contract for the P550, one of the largest single Army UAS contracts of the year. The award reflected the outcome of a competitive evaluation in which the P550's combination of VTOL flexibility, sensor capability, and software integration outperformed competing systems. Deliveries began in late 2026, with initial units going to brigade combat teams in the Pacific region where the Army is focusing investment in autonomous systems for Indo-Pacific contingency scenarios.
Armament
None (ISR)
Development and operational timeline
- AeroVironment P550 development initiated under U.S. Army Future Vertical Lift and UAS modernization programs
- P550 prototype first flight; VTOL-to-fixed-wing transition and sensor payload integration validated
- Army competitive evaluation begins; P550 entered against multiple competing eVTOL ISR platforms
- P550 JADC2 integration demonstrated; real-time sensor data sharing with Army command network validated
- GPS-denied autonomous navigation test; P550 maintains persistent surveillance in simulated jamming environment
- Army downselects P550 for final competitive evaluation; head-to-head against two remaining competitors
- P550 wins Army evaluation; low-rate initial production contract awarded
- LRIP units delivered to Army test units; operational evaluation conducted with 82nd Airborne Division
- Army awards $117 million first full-rate production contract; AeroVironment ramps P550 manufacturing
- First production P550 units delivered to brigade combat teams in Indo-Pacific region; initial operational capability declared