AeroVironment, Inc. has announced the launch of MAYHEM 10, an advanced multi-role launched effects system designed for deployment across air, ground, and maritime platforms.
MAYHEM 10 is an autonomous system built for operational flexibility, featuring a modular payload that can be configured with interchangeable lethal and non-lethal capabilities. These include intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), electronic warfare, communications relay, and precision strike functions—allowing it to be tailored to specific mission needs and quickly adapted to changing operational conditions.
“MAYHEM 10 sets a new standard for operational versatility and survivability on the modern battlefield,” said Wahid Nawabi, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer at AV. “By integrating advanced autonomy, multi-domain payloads, and rapid adaptability, we empower our forces to sense, disrupt, and strike with precision—even in the most contested environments. This breakthrough allows commanders to extend their reach, accelerate decision-making, and maintain superiority without putting crews or high-value assets at unnecessary risk.”
Built on the proven foundation of AV’s Switchblade® family and engineered for high-intensity, contested environments, MAYHEM 10 offers a 10-pound (4.5 kg) payload capacity, an operational range of up to 100 km, and an endurance of 50 minutes. It can also be assembled and launched in under five minutes, enabling rapid deployment in the field.
Designed using a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), the system allows for easy upgrades, integration of third-party payloads, and unified control through AV’s Tomahawk Grip controller and AV_Halo™ COMMAND interface. This enables flexible, networked, and scalable operations—whether deployed individually or in coordinated swarms—allowing multiple mission effects to be carried out simultaneously while quickly adapting to changing threats and operational requirements.
“MAYHEM 10 changes how forces generate combat power by enabling collaborative swarm operations at scale,” said Brian Young, Senior Vice President of Loitering Munitions at AV. “Operators can employ multiple systems to work collaboratively—expanding coverage, overwhelming defenses, and executing synchronized effects across the battlespace—without increasing platform risk or force concentration.”
MAYHEM 10 is equipped with a removable forward modular payload, allowing rapid integration of third-party systems to enhance mission flexibility. Its self-contained launcher enables versatile deployment across dismounted units, mobile ground operations, air-mounted platforms, and vehicle-based missions.
Its advanced autonomy is driven by an AI-powered processor, enabling effective performance in contested and denied environments, with strong resilience against jamming, spoofing, and navigation disruptions. Secure navigation and communication are supported by M-Code GPS and a Silvus datalink, while a MANET-based secure mesh network provides reliable command-and-control connectivity with a link range of 25–40 km.
Key features of the MAYHEM 10.
- Multi-Platform Extended Standoff: Deployable from air, ground, and maritime platforms, MAYHEM 10 extends host-platform standoff by enabling threat detection and engagement at range—pushing sensing and effects 100+ km forward while reducing risk to crews and high-value assets.
- One System, Multiple Effects: A single MAYHEM 10 supports configurations for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), electronic warfare/disruption, deception/decoy, communications relay, and precision strike with up to 10 lbs of tailorable nonlethal or lethal payloads—without changing launch concepts.
- Scalable, Coordinated Effects: Employ MAYHEM 10 individually or in collaborative swarms to expand coverage, overwhelm or confuse defenses, and execute multiple effects in parallel—without concentrating forces or crewed platforms.
- Autonomy for Contested Environments: AI-enabled autonomy allows MAYHEM 10 to maintain mission effectiveness through jamming, spoofing, degraded communications, and denied navigation, reducing reliance on continuous operator control and operator burden.
- Built to Adapt and Evolve: A Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA)-based, interoperable architecture enables rapid payload integration, autonomy upgrades, and system employment keeping MAYHEM 10 aligned with evolving threats, networks, and priorities.