A new breed of fully autonomous capable, GPS-Denied One-Way Attack Unmanned Aircraft Systems
AeroVironment, Inc. announced on May 6 the launch of Red Dragon, a fully autonomous capable, software-defined unmanned aircraft system (UAS) designed for one-way attack missions in high-threat, GPS-denied, and communications-degraded environments. Developed as part of AV’s expanding portfolio of tactical autonomy, Red Dragon is built on the AV’s AVACORE shared software architecture – enabling rapid development, scalable manufacturing, and modular mission integration. AV’s industry leading SPOTR-Edge perception system enables detection and classification of targets to aid the operator in making decisions with confidence via AV’s proprietary DDIL radio system.
Red Dragon delivers a combination of autonomy, electronic warfare resilience, and tactical flexibility previously unavailable in its class. It is designed to penetrate contested airspace and operate effectively in denied, disrupted, intermittent, and low-bandwidth (DDIL) environments. The system is capable of autonomous execution of mission objectives without reliance on continuous operator input or satellite navigation.
Designed for manufacturing at scale, Red Dragon enables mass production, rapid deployment, and simplified logistics to meet operational demands. It is optimized for cross-domain use – across air, land, and maritime – and is designed so small teams can be trained quickly and effectively.
“Red Dragon represents a significant step forward in autonomous lethality,” said Jeff Rodrian, Executive Vice President, MacCready Works. “By combining advanced autonomy, GNSS-independent navigation, and mass producibility, Red Dragon delivers a mission-ready system designed for today’s contested battlespace. It is the first of a new generation of autonomous systems built for scale, speed, and operational relevance.”
“At AV, our mission is to change the way wars are fought – by putting the safety, survivability, and operational advantage of our warfighters first,” said Wahid Nawabi, President & CEO of AV. “Red Dragon reflects the kind of breakthrough capability that ensures U.S. and allied forces stay ahead in an increasingly complex threat environment. It’s not just about autonomy – it’s about delivering trusted, mission-defining technologies that protect lives and reshape the future of defense.”
Red Dragon is the first in a rapidly growing family of platforms under development at AV with a common software and hardware architecture for mission-specific variants. Each shares a common software and autonomy architecture designed to support rapid evolution across domains and use cases. This enables evolutions at the speed of software and warfare.
