The US government has invested an additional $20.2 million in AV to scale production of its Freedom Eagle-1 kinetic counter-drone missile.
The US government has invested an additional $20.2 million in AeroVironment (AV) to scale production of its Freedom Eagle-1 (FE-1) kinetic counter-drone missile.
This will support the 24,000-square-foot (2,230-square-meter) expansion of the company’s facility in Huntsville, Alabama, which will serve as the system-level integration, manufacturing, and production hub for the FE-1 interceptor.
The expansion is intended to increase low-rate initial production quantities and accelerate future full-rate production to meet the urgent operational requirements of the US Army and Combatant Commands.
“Growing our presence in Huntsville places AV more firmly at the center of the Army’s air and missile defense ecosystem, enabling tighter integration, faster iteration, and more efficient production at scale,” said Wahid Nawabi, AV Chairman, President, and CEO.
The investment also builds on the company’s $95.9-million contract award in October 2025 to produce and deliver the FE-1 to the US Army as part of its Next-Generation Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System Missile and Long-Range Kinetic Interceptor programs.
Freedom Eagle-1
FE-1 is built to be a relatively affordable high-performance interceptor that can shoot down larger and more capable drones, particularly those classified as Group 2 and 3 uncrewed aerial systems.
It can also still be used against smaller drones, as well as fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft.
The counter-drone interceptor was developed under a rapid timeline, where it moved from “paper design to first flight in 107 days.”
It has already completed several milestones, including the successful firing of its dual-thrust solid rocket motor, warhead detonation testing, and controlled test vehicle launches.
