The U.S. Army has awarded AeroVironment a $95.9 million contract for the supply of the Freedom Eagle 1 (FE-1) missile, which will be the new long-range kinetic interceptor against drones under the Long Range Kinetic Interceptor (LRKI) program. The announcement, made by the company and confirmed by the Department of Defense, marks a decisive step in the U.S. strategy to strengthen its air-defense capabilities in the face of the growing threat from unmanned aerial systems.
The LRKI is a U.S. Army program designed to provide a scalable, mobile, and low-cost-per-shot defense against drones of varying sizes, from small commercial UAS to larger systems employed in high-intensity conflicts. The requirement arises from recent experience in scenarios such as Ukraine and the Middle East, where the massive use of drones has shown their ability to saturate traditional defenses and threaten both troops and critical infrastructure.
The Freedom Eagle 1 was selected after a competitive process in which factors such as range, accuracy, integration with existing systems, and operating cost were evaluated. The missile is designed to be launched from mobile ground platforms, integrating with short- and medium-range air-defense systems already in service with the Army.
Finally, although AeroVironment has not revealed all technical details, it is known that the FE-1 is a lightweight, high-speed interceptor with advanced guidance, optimized to neutralize drones by direct impact (hit-to-kill).
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