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A roughly one-hour drone flight can seem like a lifetime - especially for the leaders of Croatia, Hungary, and Romania, who recently had the unfortunate experience of witnessing an armed Russian drone fly over their countries.
Thankfully, no one was injured when the Soviet-era unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) landed in Croatia.
But that flight became a literal call to arms as United States and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) defense officials huddled in frantic meetings, worried that more Russian drone strikes could lead to World War III.
While much of the war coverage has focused on fighter jets, missile attacks, tank deployments, and troop movement, the Croatian incident underscores just how big of a role drones play on the modern battlefield.
The global military market for military drones is estimated at $98 billion, so there's a lot of money on the line for drone developers who can provide the world with this much-needed technology.
Now, anyone can see the tech market is extremely volatile right now; the NASDAQ Composite was down more than 5% late yesterday. But if you know where to look, there are abundant opportunities to own stocks at fire-sale prices.
I've uncovered what should be a leader in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) that just posted 129% earnings gains and is crushing the market. Wall Street is too busy panicking to recognize it.
With a $2.4 billion market cap, it might be small, and it's definitely overlooked - but this company's UAS tech has massive potential that reaches all the way to space...
This Firm Is a Pioneer in UAVs
Drone specialist AeroVironment Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV) is such an exciting company right now.
Its roots in aviation innovation run deep, going all the way back to the Gossamer Condor that sits in the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
The company launched the first human-powered airplane in 1977 before sending the first human-powered plane to cross the English Channel in 1979.
And these innovations have only accelerated over the decades.
After 9/11, AeroVironment shifted focus to UAVs and navigation systems for defense and aerospace work.
The company has since become a leading name in automated flight with an excellent reputation for creating tech that is reliable and durable.
During the resulting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, AeroVironment's UAVs were very popular with special forces and forward-deployed units for recon and intel work. When infantry would move into towns and villages, they would deploy AeroVironment UAVs to check the roads for IEDs or fly them down streets to make sure there wasn't an ambush set up for them.
These UAVs have become increasingly popular in war zones because they're easy to launch, relatively cheap (especially compared to planes and helicopters), very maneuverable, and best of all, unmanned.
Most of what AVAV has been working on for decades now is unmanned flight using various technologies. It specializes in micro- to medium-sized drones that can be used for ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) work, as well as solar-powered high-altitude UAVs that can sit for months over large or small areas.
And, of course, it also can weaponize some of the UAVs.
For example, AVAV recently received a huge order of its Switchblade 600 for use in Ukraine. It's described as an extended-range loitering missile used to attack, disable, or destroy tanks and armored personnel vehicles.
This relatively small company is even taking its UAVs to new heights beyond the borders of our atmosphere...
Taking Drones to New Heights
AVAV also built the Mars Ingenuity Helicopter that has been flying around Mars. Its mission was scheduled for just a few short flights, assuming it wouldn't stand up to the brutal conditions on the red planet. But it logged in dozens of missions.
There's plenty of room to grow for AVAV with significant potential for the new space race as well as a growing footprint at the Pentagon.
We can see that in the numbers: Its funded backlog reflects the company's order pipeline, which has continued to rise in recent quarters and currently sits at more than $226 million.
Add it all up, and you can see why the company recently reported quarterly earnings rose a stunning 129%. And it's running rings around the S&P 500.
So far this year, the broad benchmark is off over 13% since the beginning of 2022, but AVAV is up more than 37% in the same time frame, with more gains on the way.
This is the kind of stock that can build wealth over the long haul.
For new innovations in drones to continue, we'll need computing power - and a lot of it. The kind of power that only a revolution in quantum computing can provide.
Not only is this tech powerful enough to render your computer obsolete and potentially end global warming, but it could create $8 trillion in new wealth in the process. And today, for the first time in history, you have the opportunity to claim a ground-floor stake.
You can get all the details here.
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About the Author
Michael A. Robinson is a 36-year Silicon Valley veteran and one of the top tech and biotech financial analysts working today. That's because, as a consultant, senior adviser, and board member for Silicon Valley venture capital firms, Michael enjoys privileged access to pioneering CEOs, scientists, and high-profile players. And he brings this entire world of Silicon Valley "insiders" right to you...
- He was one of five people involved in early meetings for the $160 billion "cloud" computing phenomenon.
- He was there as Lee Iacocca and Roger Smith, the CEOs of Chrysler and GM, led the robotics revolution that saved the U.S. automotive industry.
- As cyber-security was becoming a focus of national security, Michael was with Dave DeWalt, the CEO of McAfee, right before Intel acquired his company for $7.8 billion.
This all means the entire world is constantly seeking Michael's insight.
In addition to being a regular guest and panelist on CNBC and Fox Business, he is also a Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer and reporter. His first book Overdrawn: The Bailout of American Savings warned people about the coming financial collapse - years before the word "bailout" became a household word.
Silicon Valley defense publications vie for his analysis. He's worked for Defense Media Network and Signal Magazine, as well as The New York Times, American Enterprise, and The Wall Street Journal.
And even with decades of experience, Michael believes there has never been a moment in time quite like this.
Right now, medical breakthroughs that once took years to develop are moving at a record speed. And that means we are going to see highly lucrative biotech investment opportunities come in fast and furious.
To help you navigate the historic opportunity in biotech, Michael launched the Bio-Tech Profit Alliance.
His other publications include: Strategic Tech Investor, The Nova-X Report, Bio-Technology Profit Alliance and Nexus-9 Network.
