AeroVironment, Eurocopter partner to explore new capabilities for military

AeroVironment has signed a cooperative agreement with Eurocopter to explore creating new capabilities, at the 2013 Association of the United States Army (AUSA) annual meeting held in Washington DC, US.

Under the terms of the agreement, AeroVironment and Eurocopter will integrate their expertise and skills to meet future needs of customers while expanding their military and commercial product portfolios.

AeroVironment Unmanned Aircraft Systems business segment senior vice president and general manager Roy Minson said the agreement will create the opportunity for the two companies to explore and develop new capabilities to meet future customer needs.

"The combination of AeroVironment’s market leading unmanned technology and unique knowledge with Eurocopter’s world-class helicopter and systems expertise makes a formidable team," Minson added.

The two companies will also evaluate potential joint opportunities for expanding their product portfolios, as part of the accord.

Eurocopter senior vice president, strategy and company development Clive Schley said the cooperation will enable Eurocopter to define its unmanned product strategy, building on the success of its first unmanned flights with the EC145 helicopter this year.

"AeroVironment’s extensive operational UAS experience in delivering to end-users reliable solutions working effectively in harsh operating environments makes us uniquely positioned to understand customers’ requirements and to determine future market trends," Schley added.