AV to Deploy Golden Dome for America Limited Area Defense Inner Layer Framework at Grand Forks Air Force Base

GRAND FORKS, N.D.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 14, 2025--

AeroVironment, Inc. (“AV”) (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in multi-layered counter-drone defense technology, today announced an expanded collaboration with GrandSKY, the nation's first commercial unmanned aerial system (UAS) business and aviation park, to establish the foundation of its Golden Dome for America limited area defense architecture at Grand Forks Air Force Base (AFB) in North Dakota.

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Working with GrandSKY, AV will deploy its inner layer distributed counter-UAS (C-UAS) capabilities, the backbone of a layered defense architecture–designed to counter the growing threat of malicious UAS and aerial threats targeting the nation’s critical infrastructure at Grand Forks AFB.

Aligned with AV’s partnership with SNC for the Golden Dome for America initiative, this deployment will include the integration of AV’s Titan and Titan-SV RF-based platforms for long-range detection and identification, unified through the AV_Halo™ COMMAND software platform that fuses diverse sensor and surveillance data into a single, mission-ready operating picture for C-UAS and Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) airspace awareness.

"We’re deploying technologies that deliver unmatched situational awareness to Grand Forks AFB while providing a road map to expand these limited area defense capabilities at critical sites throughout the nation in support of Golden Dome for America,” said Wahid Nawabi, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of AV. “By combining our surveillance and edge-intelligence technologies with the vision of GrandSKY and the support of leaders, like Senator Hoeven, we are accelerating solutions that will protect critical U.S. military installations and the service members who operate within them.”

“North Dakota is the premier location for developing both applications for unmanned aircraft and protections against the misuse of drone technology, and bringing AV’s counter-UAS system to GrandSKY accelerates the important work being done through initiatives like Project ULTRA,” said Senator John Hoeven (R-N.D.). “Counter-drone is a critical priority for the future of our nation’s defense. We’ve seen in Israel and Ukraine how drones are being used to wage war in new and dangerous ways. The capabilities and partnerships we’ve built in the Grand Forks region will enable our nation to tackle this emerging threat, and we appreciate AV for its growing commitment to GrandSKY and the important role its technology will play in these efforts.”

This collaboration builds on the March 2025 memorandum of understanding (MOU) between AV and GrandSKY in support of Project ULTRA, Hoeven’s $110 million public-private initiative to establish Grand Forks as the nation’s proving ground for advanced counter-UAS defense. Through this collaboration, AV has already integrated AV_Halo COMMAND Mission software, formerly VigilantHalo, into GrandSKY’s BVLOS flight operations, enhancing airspace awareness and control while expanding counter-UAS capacity at the 217-acre flight center.

“We’re excited to grow our relationship with AV. What started as a partnership to explore ground-based sense and avoid tools for UAS operations is now expanding to support multi-layered counter-UAS capabilities,” said Tom Swoyer, Jr., President at GrandSKY. “Deploying these technologies will give us a path to support a variety of UAS and Counter-UAS tests, operations and demonstrations. One of the most significant advantages we gain is the ability to collaborate closely with our partners at Grand Forks Air Force Base. Through Project ULTRA, we will explore and understand the comprehensive requirements needed to effectively defend against UAS threats and be better equipped to address the full range of challenges and ensure our nation’s domestic defenses capabilities are robust and adaptable.”

About AV

AV (NASDAQ: AVAV) is a defense technology leader delivering integrated capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. The Company develops and deploys autonomous systems, loitering munitions, counter-UAS technologies, space-based platforms, directed energy systems, and cyber and electronic warfare capabilities—built to meet the mission needs of today’s warfighter and tomorrow’s conflicts. At the core of these technologies lies AV_Halo, a modular, mission-ready suite of AI-powered software tools that empowers warfighters and enables full-battlefield dominance: detect, decide, deliver. With a national manufacturing footprint and a deep innovation pipeline, AV delivers proven systems and future-defining capabilities at speed, scale, and operational relevance. For more information, visit www.avinc.com.

About GrandSKY

GrandSKY is a UAS-focused flight operations center on Grand Forks AFB in Grand Forks County, North Dakota. The 217-acre flight center provides Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) tenants and partners with unmatched research, development, training, and testing amenities. GrandSKY leverages access to the Air Force runway and tower support with commercial amenities and investment through a unique public-private partnership supporting civilian and military UAS flight operations. GrandSKY has been offering industry-leading amenities such as over 11,000 square miles of BVLOS capability and 24/7 operations. For more information, visit grandskynd.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to, our ability to perform under existing contracts and obtain new ones; regulatory changes; competitor activities; market growth; product development challenges; and general economic conditions. For a more detailed discussion of these risks, please refer to AV’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events.

(left to right) Sen. John Hoeven joined Stephen Lloyd of AV and Tom Swoyer, Jr. of GrandSKY to celebrate the expansion of C-UAS capabilities at Grand Forks AFB on Monday, October 13, 2025, at the UAS Summit and Expo. [Credit: GrandSKY]

Iran's top judge hinted at fast trials and executions for those who were detained in nationwide protests against the country's theocracy, even as activists said Wednesday that the death toll rose to levels unseen in decades with at least 2,572 people killed so far.

Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei made the comments about trials and executions in a video Tuesday, despite a warning from U.S. President Donald Trump that he would “take very strong action” if executions take place.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said the number of dead climbed to at least 2,571 early Wednesday. The figure dwarfs the death toll from any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

After Trump was informed on the number of deaths, he warned Iran's leaders that he was terminating any negotiations and would “act accordingly.”

Details of the crackdown began emerging Tuesday as Iranians made phone calls abroad for the first time in days after authorities severed communications countrywide when the protests broke out.

Here is the latest:

Iranian state television said Wednesday’s mass funeral in Tehran would include 300 bodies of security force members and civilians. The funeral is expected to take place at Tehran University under heavy security.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency, which is tracking the death toll, said more than 2,550 people have been killed, 2,403 protesters and 147 government-affiliated.

Twelve children were killed, along with nine civilians it said were not taking part in protests. More than 18,100 people have been detained, the group said.

Gauging the demonstrations and the death toll from abroad has grown more difficult and The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll given the communications being disrupted in the country.

Melanie Lidman contributed from Jerusalem.

Trump’s decision to impose a 25% tariff on countries that trade with Iran could impact India, an expert said, as New Delhi already faces existing 50% U.S. trade levies due its purchases of Russian oil.

Abhijit Mukhopadhyay, a senior economist at the Chintan Research Foundation in New Delhi, said the bigger risk is not India-Iran trade, but India’s access to the U.S. market as its exports to Iran are modest.

India mainly exports rice, tea, sugar, pharmaceuticals and electrical machinery to Iran, while importing dry fruits and chemical products. Textiles and garments, gems and jewelry and engineering goods are likely to be the most vulnerable sectors, he said.

Trump’s latest move also could affect India’s investments in Iran including the strategically important Chabahar port, which gives India a trade route to Afghanistan, Central Asia and Europe while bypassing Pakistan, Mukhopadhyay said.

Iran’s judiciary chief signals fast trials and executions for those detained in nationwide protests.

Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei made the comment in a video shared by Iranian state television on Wednesday.

He emphasized the need for swift action, saying delays would lessen the impact.

His remarks challenge Trump, who warned Iran about executions in an interview aired Tuesday.

Trump stated the U.S. would take strong action if Iran proceeded with executions. The situation highlights escalating tensions between the two countries over the handling of the protests.

Dozens of Pakistani students studying in Iran have returned home through a remote southwestern border crossing, a Pakistani immigration official said Wednesday.

Federal Investigation Agency spokesperson in Quetta city, Samina Raisani, said about 60 students crossed into Pakistan on Tuesday through Gabd border in Balochistan province with valid travel documents.

More students were expected to return through the same crossing later Wednesday, she said.

Mudassir Tipu, Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran, said Tuesday that Iranian universities had rescheduled exams and permitted international students to leave the country.

The satellite internet provider Starlink now offers free service in to people Iran who have access to the company's receivers, activists said Wednesday.

Mehdi Yahyanejad, a Los Angeles-based activist who helped get the units into Iran, told The Associated Press that the free service had started. Other activists also confirmed in messages online that the service was free.

Starlink has been the only way for Iranians to communicate with the outside world since authorities shut down the internet Thursday night as nationwide protests swelled and they began a bloody crackdown against demonstrators.

Starlink did not immediately acknowledge the decision.

This frame grab from videos taken between Jan. 9 and Jan. 11, 2026, and circulating on social media purportedly shows images from a morgue with dozens of bodies and mourners after crackdown on the outskirts of Iran's capital, in Kahrizak, Tehran Province. (UGC via AP)