AeroVironment Inc. announced Monday it has acquired Empirical Systems Aerospace Inc., a San Luis Obispo, California-based producer of unmanned aircraft systems and advanced air mobility platforms, in a deal valued at approximately $200 million.The transaction consists of roughly $160 million in stock with the remainder in cash, subject to post-closing adjustments. The deal is expected to be accretive to adjusted EBITDA in its first year.ESAero, as the company is known, specializes in electric and hybrid propulsion systems, rapid aerospace prototyping and AS9100-certified unmanned aircraft manufacturing. The company operates out of a 32,000-square-foot design and prototyping facility and a 53,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in San Luis Obispo."ESAero brings an impressive agility in moving from design to manufacturing, which will accelerate AV's ability to bridge the gap between conceptual design and manufacturing execution," said Wahid Nawabi, chairman, president and chief executive officer of AeroVironment.Andrew Gibson, president, CEO and co-founder of ESAero, said the combination would allow the company to amplify the reach of its work by pairing its engineering and manufacturing capabilities with AeroVironment's expertise in autonomous systems.ESAero will operate as a subsidiary of AeroVironment, reporting into its Precision Strike and Defense Systems group under the Loitering Munition Systems business unit.The acquisition follows AeroVironment's $4.1 billion purchase of BlueHalo in May 2025, marking the company's second major transaction in less than a year. ESAero's California facilities are expected to serve as a center of excellence for advanced prototyping and manufacturing across air vehicle design, propulsion development and full-scale production.

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AeroVironment has acquired a California-based unmanned aircraft and advanced air mobility manufacturer for roughly $200 million, marking the defense technology company's second major acquisition in less than a year.

AV acquires Empirical Systems Aerospace Inc.

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