AeroVironment Delivers Initial P550 Group-2 eVTOL Systems to U.S. Army for Long-Range Reconnaissance (LRR)
AeroVironment Delivers Initial P550 Group-2 eVTOL Systems to U.S. Army for Long-Range Reconnaissance (LRR)
Published:
August 29, 2025
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Updated:
August 29, 2025
Aircraft
Lucas Meyer
Photo by Michelle Miller
AeroVironment completed the first delivery of P550 autonomous Group 2 eVTOL systems to the U.S. Army under the Long-Range Reconnaissance (LRR) program, with gear already handed to units earmarked for Transformation in Contact (TiC) brigades.
The opening tranche covers several air vehicles and associated ground gear, paired with new-equipment instruction and a train-the-trainer track to push crews to line units fast. Defense officials said the Army will begin fielding LRR to operational formations later this year under TiC 2.0, which puts organic reconnaissance and targeting at battalion level.
In a short note, Trace Stevenson, president of the Autonomous Systems division at AeroVironment, said the company would support delivery, training and sustainment to keep the aircraft ready for tasking.
Where LRR fits, TiC 2.0 timing and how units will crew systems
LRR moves longer-range reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition into maneuver battalions under a rapid-acquisition track. The Army picked several vendors to seed capability and keep competition live; alongside P550 the service named Edge Autonomy’s Stalker Block 35X for early buys.
Program managers outline a direct path to units: stand up MOS-agnostic training pipelines, accredit master trainers inside receiving formations and then issue systems for operational use under TiC 2.0. Here, “MOS-agnostic” signals that any Soldier in an approved unit can train to operate the platform without a new specialty code – which speeds manning and cuts friction in the field.
Under TiC 2.0, the service ties LRR to the Secretary of Defense’s July guidance on accelerating U.S. drone dominance, using quick-reaction contracts and an open-architecture demand signal to pull in vendors that can iterate fast. Industry sources say early fielding will steer follow-on orders and further selections as battalions refine tactics, techniques and procedures and as payload roadmaps mature across the MOSA ecosystem.
What the P550 brings – weight class, flight profile, battery life, payload and open architecture
The P550 sits at the upper end of the Department of Defense Group 2 class, which spans 21 to 55 lb maximum takeoff weight. AeroVironment lists gross takeoff weight at 55 lb.
The aircraft uses an all-battery eVTOL layout that transitions to wing-borne cruise. That choice cuts acoustic and thermal signature at launch and preserves endurance once on the wing. Company data cites up to 5 hours endurance on battery power with a payload capacity of 15 lb.
The airframe follows a modular open systems approach (MOSA). The design supports tool-less reconfiguration at the unit level-swap payloads, radios or power modules and roll back out without sending the airframe to the depot.
For loadout planning, core performance points released to date:
Endurance: up to 5 hours on battery power.
Payload capacity: up to 15 lb.
Gross takeoff weight: 55 lb, the Group 2 upper bound.
Setup and reconfig: sub 10 minute setup, under five minute payload or battery swaps without tools.
Architecture: MOSA-compliant avionics and interfaces for payloads and radios.
The eVTOL profile opens more launch and recovery spots inside cluttered terrain. Units can push the aircraft from tree lines, courtyard corners or ridge breaks and still gain endurance at altitude.
Squad training lanes, launch integration, and spares management
AeroVironment’s first shipment came with new equipment instruction run by field service reps for the initial elements. A follow-on master-trainer course seeded competence inside the formation. The train-the-trainer approach gives brigade and battalion commanders a cadre able to qualify new crews, keep currency, and run remedial steps after mishaps or near misses. The Army’s MOS-agnostic policy for LRR lines up with the approach. Commanders assign operators from inside the battalion, then backfill as rotations and personnel moves roll through.
According to industry contacts, early receiving units pair LRR flightlines with existing small-UAS rooms and deconfliction routines so airspace control measures don’t stall launches when manned traffic passes overhead. In practice scout platoons and S-3 air shops line up launch windows altitude blocks and handoff points with adjacent companies and higher headquarters, then lean on P550 endurance to hold pattern while ground elements maneuver.
How units will use Group 2 UAS and where suppliers compete
Group 2 systems sit between rucksack quadcopters and larger runway-dependent aircraft. At 55 lb GTOW and five hours endurance, P550 gives battalions a platform with longer dwell than small UAS while staying light on infrastructure. A MOSA core widens the lane for third-party payloads as vendors converge on common electrical, mechanical and software interfaces.
Edge Autonomy’s Stalker Block 35X sits in the same weight class and mission set. The Army calls that a plus. Dual sourcing supports competition on price, schedule and capability drops. The service expects more selections once testing flows back from early fielding. For program offices the mix lowers risk. If one airframe hits a supply-chain snag, the other keeps the pipeline live. If a payload vendor ships a late software build, units shift mission cards to the aircraft that clears cybersecurity checks first.
The battery-only choice carries tradeoffs that commanders weigh against mission type and climate. Batteries simplify logistics and shrink acoustic signatures. In cold weather, crews may see endurance compression if charging cycles fall behind. Units work through planning factors-how many packs per mission, ideal reserve on landing, whether rapid chargers keep pace during continuous ops. The eVTOL lift phase places extra load on packs during launch and recovery so battery health tracking becomes part of the daily brief alongside weather and link status.
Stevenson’s emphasis on sustainment signals a familiar reality for battalions: most downtime stems from seemingly small issues, not headline failures. Loose connectors, bent skids, and a scuffed gimbal ring-line mechanics fix those if tools and spares are within reach and documentation is clear. The company’s promise to backstop early units will be tested as sorties accumulate and as crews push missions into dust, salt air, or sleet.
REFERENCE SOURCES
https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF12797
https://www.army.mil/article/288015/army_accelerates_long_range_reconnaissance_uas_capability
https://investor.avinc.com/news-releases/news-release-details/av-delivers-initial-p550-autonomous-group-2-evtol-unmanned
https://www.avinc.com/uas/p550
https://www.avinc.com/images/uploads/product_docs/P550_Datasheet.pdf
https://www.avinc.com/resources/press-releases/view/av-delivers-initial-p550-autonomous-group-2-evtol-unmanned-aircraft-systems-to-u.s-army-for-lrr-program
https://www.janes.com/osint-insights/defence-news/defence/aerovironment-delivers-first-p550-uav-to-us-army
https://defence-blog.com/u-s-army-taps-aerovironment-edge-for-new-recon-drones/
The post AeroVironment Delivers Initial P550 Group-2 eVTOL Systems to U.S. Army for Long-Range Reconnaissance (LRR) appeared first on defense-aerospace.
AeroVironment completed the first delivery of P550 autonomous Group 2 eVTOL systems to the U.S. Army under the Long-Range Reconnaissance (LRR) program, with gear already handed to units earmarked for Transformation in Contact (TiC) brigades.
The post AeroVironment Delivers Initial P550 Group-2 eVTOL Systems to U.S. Army for Long-Range Reconnaissance (LRR) appeared first on defense-aerospace.
