AeroVironment's Mayhem 10 drones achieve coordinated swarm demo

AeroVironment and Applied Intuition showcased software that lets swarms of the company’s Mayhem 10 unmanned aircraft operate together under a single operator. The firms announced a strategic teaming agreement on July 29, 2026, to merge Applied Intuition’s Acuity ISR/Strike autonomy suite with AeroVironment’s launched‑effects system. The demonstration featured multiple Mayhem 10 units synchronising their movements, sharing targeting data, and adapting to changing threats, supporting collaborative “hunter‑killer” missions.

Mayhem 10 is a modular, launch‑from‑air, ground or maritime platform drone capable of carrying up to 10 lb of payload, flying more than 100 km, and sustaining over 50 minutes of flight at 80 mph cruise speed (120 mph dash). A single operator supervises the swarm rather than manually piloting each aircraft. The capability is intended for the US Army’s Launched Effects program to extend surveillance, targeting, electronic‑warfare and strike functions. AeroVironment senior vice‑president Brian Young described the system as an “architecture,” and Applied Intuition general manager Jason Brown said modern warfare needs trusted systems that can think, coordinate and adapt faster than adversaries.