Aerovironment

An experimental spy plane with a wingspan almost the size of a Boeing 747's took to the skies over the Mojave Desert last week in a secret test flight that may herald a new era in modern warfare with robotic planes flying higher, faster and with more firepower. The massive Global Observer built by AeroVironment Inc. of Monrovia is capable of flying for days at a stratosphere-skimming 65,000 feet, out of range of most antiaircraft missiles. The plane is built to survey 280,000 square miles ?

Boosted by an increase in sales, Monrovia-based drone maker AeroVironment Inc. exceeded analyst estimates and reported $6.6 million in second-quarter profit, a large increase over the same period a year ago. The company, which makes small hand-held drones for the Pentagon and charging systems for electric vehicles, posted $6.6 million in net income, or 30 cents a share, on Tuesday for the quarter ended Oct.29. That's compared with a profit of $262,000, or 1 cent a share, for the same period last year.

A pocket-size drone dubbed the Nano Hummingbird for the way it flaps its tiny robotic wings has been developed for the Pentagon by a Monrovia company as a mini-spy plane capable of maneuvering on the battlefield and in urban areas. The battery-powered drone was built by AeroVironment Inc. for the Pentagon's research arm as part of a series of experiments in nanotechnology. The little flying machine is built to look like a bird for potential use in spy missions. The results of a five-year effort to develop the drone are being announced Thursday by the company and the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Drone aircraft, best known for their role in hunting and destroying terrorist hide-outs in Afghanistan, may soon be coming to the skies near you. Police agencies want drones for air support to spot runaway criminals. Utility companies believe they can help monitor oil, gas and water pipelines. Farmers think drones could aid in spraying their crops with pesticides. "It's going to happen," said Dan Elwell, vice president of civil aviation at the Aerospace Industries Assn. "Now it's about figuring out how to safely assimilate the technology into national airspace.

Under mounting pressure to keep its massive budget in check, the Pentagon is looking to cheaper, smaller weapons to wage war in the 21st century. A new generation of weaponry is being readied in clandestine laboratories across the nation that puts a priority on pintsized technology that would be more precise in warfare and less likely to cause civilian casualties. Increasingly, the Pentagon is being forced to discard expensive, hulking, Cold War-era armaments that exact a heavy toll on property and human lives.

Bolstered by an increase in sales of drones to the U.S. military, Monrovia-based AeroVironment Inc. posted a 76% profit gain in its fiscal third quarter. Earnings for the quarter that ended Jan. 29 rose to $11.5 million, or 52 cents a share, compared with $6.5 million, or 30 cents, a year earlier. Analysts on average had forecast a profit of 38 cents a share. The results were reported after the close of regular trading. AeroVironment shares closed at $28.61, up 36 cents. They rose in after-hours trading, at one point up about 12% at $31.98.

AeroVironment Inc., the Monrovia company that makes small hand-held drones for the Pentagon and charging systems for electric vehicles, swung to a profit in its first quarter, bolstered by a 62% increase in sales. The company Wednesday posted earnings for the quarter ended July 30 of $326,000, or 1 cent a share, compared with a loss of $3.4 million, or 16 cents, a year earlier. Analysts on average had forecast a profit of 1 cent a share. AeroVironment is the Pentagon's top supplier of small drones, which include the Raven, Wasp and Puma models.

Boosted by an increase in sales, Monrovia-based drone maker AeroVironment Inc. exceeded analyst estimates and reported $6.6 million in second-quarter profit, a large increase over the same period a year ago. The company, which makes small hand-held drones for the Pentagon and charging systems for electric vehicles, posted $6.6 million in net income, or 30 cents a share, on Tuesday for the quarter ended Oct.29. That's compared with a profit of $262,000, or 1 cent a share, for the same period last year.

AeroVironment Inc. shares plunged Friday after the Monrovia-based robotic aircraft maker disclosed that it has been under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department since February. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said that federal prosecutors have been probing its billing practices for government contracts dating back to fiscal 2006. It said the company "could be adversely affected by a negative audit or investigation by the U.S. government."

Drone aircraft, best known for their role in hunting and destroying terrorist hide-outs in Afghanistan, may soon be coming to the skies near you. Police agencies want drones for air support to spot runaway criminals. Utility companies believe they can help monitor oil, gas and water pipelines. Farmers think drones could aid in spraying their crops with pesticides. "It's going to happen," said Dan Elwell, vice president of civil aviation at the Aerospace Industries Assn. "Now it's about figuring out how to safely assimilate the technology into national airspace.

It wasn't long after the World Trade Center twin towers fell that U.S. Army special forces units were dispatched to the desolate outcroppings of Afghanistan to stalk and eradicate the Taliban. The commandos were outfitted with radios, night vision goggles and automatic rifles. But a select few carried a new high-tech tool to hunt down the enemy. It was a tiny robotic spy plane, so small it would fit in a backpack. Soldiers would throw the drone into the sky, where it would fly up to 400 feet, shoot video of what's ahead and transmit those images back to the soldiers.

AeroVironment Inc., the Monrovia company that makes small hand-held drones for the Pentagon and charging systems for electric vehicles, swung to a profit in its first quarter, bolstered by a 62% increase in sales. The company Wednesday posted earnings for the quarter ended July 30 of $326,000, or 1 cent a share, compared with a loss of $3.4 million, or 16 cents, a year earlier. Analysts on average had forecast a profit of 1 cent a share. AeroVironment is the Pentagon's top supplier of small drones, which include the Raven, Wasp and Puma models.

Federal authorities have warned corporate executives at a Monrovia-based builder of small drone aircraft used in Afghanistan that they are among about 60 people targeted on an Al Qaeda-connected website. In the wake of the warning, AeroVironment and authorities in Monrovia have stepped up security at the company's corporate headquarters on West Huntington Drive. Homeland security sources familiar with the threat told The Times that people participating in a jihadist forum on the website named past and present members of U.S. military leadership and U.S. political figures as well as corporate executives.

AeroVironment Inc., the Monrovia company that makes small hand-held drones and charging systems for electric vehicles, posted a 13% profit gain in its fourth quarter bolstered by an increase in sales. Earnings for the quarter that ended April 30 rose to $17.6 million, or 79 cents a share, from $15.6 million, or 71 cents, a year earlier. Analysts on average had forecast a profit of 69 cents. The results were reported after the close of regular trading. AeroVironment shares closed at $28.61, down 1 cent.

Under mounting pressure to keep its massive budget in check, the Pentagon is looking to cheaper, smaller weapons to wage war in the 21st century. A new generation of weaponry is being readied in clandestine laboratories across the nation that puts a priority on pintsized technology that would be more precise in warfare and less likely to cause civilian casualties. Increasingly, the Pentagon is being forced to discard expensive, hulking, Cold War-era armaments that exact a heavy toll on property and human lives.

The gig: Timothy E. Conver, 67, is chief executive of AeroVironment Inc., the Monrovia-based manufacturer of swarms of tiny robotic spy planes that are being launched into the skies over Afghanistan. Hot planes: Once thought to be high-tech toys for aviation enthusiasts, remote-controlled planes play a crucial role in modern warfare. There are thousands of AeroVironment planes in the war zone and 1,300 more in next year's Pentagon budget. The company is the nation's largest provider of small drones, which have names such as Raven, Wasp and Digital Puma.

Federal authorities have warned corporate executives at a Monrovia-based builder of small drone aircraft used in Afghanistan that they are among about 60 people targeted on an Al Qaeda-connected website. In the wake of the warning, AeroVironment and authorities in Monrovia have stepped up security at the company's corporate headquarters on West Huntington Drive. Homeland security sources familiar with the threat told The Times that people participating in a jihadist forum on the website named past and present members of U.S. military leadership and U.S. political figures as well as corporate executives.

It wasn't long after the World Trade Center twin towers fell that U.S. Army special forces units were dispatched to the desolate outcroppings of Afghanistan to stalk and eradicate the Taliban. The commandos were outfitted with radios, night vision goggles and automatic rifles. But a select few carried a new high-tech tool to hunt down the enemy. It was a tiny robotic spy plane, so small it would fit in a backpack. Soldiers would throw the drone into the sky, where it would fly up to 400 feet, shoot video of what's ahead and transmit those images back to the soldiers.

Monrovia-based technology company AeroVironment Inc. has struck a deal with Hawaii to install 320 electric charging docks throughout the state. The $820,000 deal is the latest in a string of key contracts for the company, which comes as more electric vehicles arrive to the marketplace and more states move to build an infrastructure to support them. "We're deploying practical solutions for a game-changing electric transportation ecosystem that will dramatically alter the vehicle refueling paradigm for drivers in Hawaii, the United States and the world," Mike Bissonette, senior vice president of AeroVironment's Efficient Energy Systems, said in a statement.

Bolstered by an increase in sales of drones to the U.S. military, Monrovia-based AeroVironment Inc. posted a 76% profit gain in its fiscal third quarter. Earnings for the quarter that ended Jan. 29 rose to $11.5 million, or 52 cents a share, compared with $6.5 million, or 30 cents, a year earlier. Analysts on average had forecast a profit of 38 cents a share. The results were reported after the close of regular trading. AeroVironment shares closed at $28.61, up 36 cents. They rose in after-hours trading, at one point up about 12% at $31.98.