The US Army has granted AeroVironment (AV) a $95.9 million contract to manufacture and supply the Freedom Eagle (FE-1), a next-generation kinetic interceptor designed to defeat evolving unmanned aerial threats.
The project falls under the Long-Range Kinetic Interceptor (LRKI) program, overseen by the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center in collaboration with the Aviation & Missile Technology Consortium.
According to AV, the FE-1 has passed multiple development stages, including live-fire trials, controlled flight tests, and warhead evaluations, confirming its readiness for deployment with minimal technical risk.
To accelerate design and production, AV partnered with several defense firms, notably Applied Systems Engineering, known for its avionics and systems integration expertise.
The FE-1 is intended to neutralize Group 2 and Group 3 UAVs, which include medium-sized tactical drones used for surveillance, reconnaissance, and light attack roles.
It integrates into layered air defense networks, providing a hard-kill option when non-kinetic methods—such as jamming or directed energy—cannot neutralize threats.
Powered by a dual-thrust solid rocket motor, the FE-1 delivers rapid acceleration followed by a sustained-burn phase, extending engagement range.
AeroVironment describes the FE-1 as a cost-effective, high-performance interceptor designed for quick deployment and scalable manufacturing.
