Aevex Aerospace Awarded $10.3 Million Army Contract for Drone Hardware

The Solana Beach, California, firm secured a firm-fixed-price deal for unmanned aerial system hardware, with work due by Sept. 30, 2027, the Army said. One bid was solicited and one received.

First Published: July 27, 2026, 1:16 PM ET

SOLANA BEACH, CALIFORNIA — Aevex Aerospace LLC, a Solana Beach, California, defense technology firm specializing in unmanned aerial systems, received a $10.3 million Army contract for drone hardware, the Army said on July 27, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET, as announced on war.gov.

The firm-fixed-price award covers hardware and related items for unmanned aerial systems, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2027, according to war.gov. Work locations and funding will follow each order. Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, solicited one bid and received one under identifier W58RGZ-26-G-0046, according to war.gov.

Aevex builds autonomous systems and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities for military and government customers. The company recently launched a “Drone Factory of the Future” and expanded its UAS portfolio by acquiring select assets from RapidFlight, according to aevex.com. The award marks the first contract recorded for the firm in 2026, according to firestore contract records. It ranks as the 8th Department of Defense contract awarded in California this year and falls between the 2026 Army portfolio’s year-to-date minimum of $9.1 million and its maximum of roughly $8.4 billion.

Defense buyers have leaned harder on small and mid-size drone makers as demand for autonomous surveillance grows. Companies that supply UAS hardware and ISR services gain steady federal orders, while sole-source deals limit the price competition that can lower costs for taxpayers. The single-bid structure means the government negotiated terms without rival offers to test the price.

The contract touches a corner of federal spending that rarely surfaces in daily life yet shapes how the military fields drones and sensors. Programs like these feed the surveillance aircraft and unmanned platforms deployed in training and overseas operations, and they steer defense dollars toward a growing cluster of California technology firms.

This has happened before for Aevex. The company secured a $50 million Air Force contract for advanced unmanned mission capabilities and a $15.2 million option year to continue delivering real-time aerial intelligence for California’s FIRIS wildfire program, according to aevex.com. It also won $18.5 million and $15.6 million Air Force contracts earlier in 2026 for UAS delivery and mission-support work, according to aevex.com.

The next milestone rests with Army Contracting Command, which will issue task orders and set funding as requirements arise, according to war.gov. A specific date for the first delivery order has not been announced. The full contract carries an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2027.

The pairing of drones and Army procurement stretches back decades. The Army fielded its first large unmanned reconnaissance system, the RQ-5 Hunter, in the 1990s. By 2003 the smaller RQ-11 Raven had entered service and grew into one of the most-produced military drones, with thousands built. Those early programs turned unmanned aircraft from experimental tools into standard equipment, and the contractors who supplied them, once niche vendors, became fixtures of a defense market now worth billions each year.

This contract represents the 1st contract awarded to Aevex Aerospace LLC, in 2026, bringing the company’s total contract value for the year to $10,339,776. It is also the 8th Department of Defense contract awarded in California during 2026. Because this is the first award to Aevex Aerospace LLC recorded in the database, it establishes the company’s initial benchmark within the Army portfolio. Specifically, it falls between the 2026 Army portfolio’s year-to-date minimum of $9,051,490 and maximum of $8,402,489,648. Overall, this award was announced among 13 Department of Defense contracts issued nationwide on July 27, 2026.