The US Air Force has awarded Aevex an $18.5 million contract for autonomous aircraft designed for one-way attack missions, adding another small-drone system to the service’s growing portfolio of low-cost weapons.
Aevex announced the production contract on May 13, 2026. The deal covers delivery of autonomous aircraft as well as support from the company’s engineering and field services teams.
The company said the order supports deployment of its additive-manufactured Group 3 unmanned aircraft systems. Aevex said the aircraft use advanced 3D-printing processes intended to support scalable production and rapid fielding.
Aevex did not identify the specific aircraft covered by the contract or disclose the number of systems ordered. The company said the platform is designed for affordability, manufacturability and mission flexibility, with autonomy features intended to reduce operator workload.
“We appreciate the continued trust the US Air Force places in Aevex,” CEO Roger Wells said. “Our teams are focused on delivering dependable, mission-aligned capabilities, and we remain committed to ensuring high-quality assets reach the people who need them.”
Aevex describes itself as a defense technology company focused on autonomous unmanned systems, AI-enabled mission software, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and systems designed for contested and GPS-denied environments.
One-way attack drones, also known as loitering munitions or strike UAVs, have become a major focus for militaries after widespread use in Ukraine and the Middle East. They offer a lower-cost way to strike targets at range compared with traditional aircraft or many precision-guided weapons.
Aevex said it will perform the work through its existing US production and engineering operations. The company said its footprint includes about 100,000 square feet of unmanned systems manufacturing facilities and more than 150 engineering personnel across California, Virginia, Ohio, Florida and Alabama.
The contract follows Aevex’s April 2026 public listing on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker AVEX. The Solana Beach, California-based company raised $320 million in its US initial public offering.