UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM SD

SPECIALIZED DISCLOSURE REPORT

AEROVIRONMENT, INC.

(Exact name of the registrant as specified in its charter)

181 W. Huntington Drive, Suite 202
Monrovia, CA 91016

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

Douglas E. Scott

(626) 357-9983

(Name and telephone number, including area code, of the person to contact in connection with this report.)

Check the appropriate box to indicate the rule pursuant to which this form is being filed, and provide the period to which the information in this form applies:

x Rule 13p-1 under the Securities Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13p-1) for the reporting period from January 1 to December 31, 2014.

Section 1 — Conflict Minerals Disclosure

Item 1.01 Conflict Minerals Disclosure and Report

Conflict Minerals Disclosure

A copy of AeroVironment’s Conflict Minerals Report is filed as Exhibit 1.01 hereto and is publicly available at www.avinc.com.

Item 1.02                                           Exhibit

AeroVironment has included its Conflict Minerals Report as Exhibit 1.01 to this Form SD.

Section 2                                             Exhibits

Item 2.01                                           Exhibits

Exhibit 1.01                              Conflict Minerals Report as required by Items 1.01 and 1.02 of Form SD.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the duly authorized undersigned.

AEROVIRONMENT, INC.

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Exhibit 1.01

AeroVironment, Inc.

Conflict Minerals Report

For The Year Ended December 31, 2014

This report for the year ended December 31, 2014 is presented to comply with Rule 13p-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Rule”). Please refer to the Rule, Specialized Disclosure Report on Form SD (“Form SD”) and the 1934 Act Release No. 34-67716 (August 22, 2012) for definitions of the terms used in this report, unless otherwise defined herein.  This report has been prepared by the management of AeroVironment, Inc. (herein referred to as “AV,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). For purposes of this report, the term “3TG” means tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold.  The information includes the activities of all majority-owned subsidiaries and variable interest entities that are required to be consolidated. It does not include the activities of variable interest entities that are not required to be consolidated.

Company Overview and Summary

We design, develop, produce, support and operate a technologically-advanced portfolio of products and services. We supply unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS, tactical missile systems and related services primarily to organizations within the U.S. Department of Defense, or DoD. We also supply charging systems and services for electric vehicles, or EVs, and power cycling and test systems to commercial, consumer and government customers.

The Company determined that 3TG were necessary to the functionality or production of products that we manufactured or contracted to be manufactured during calendar 2014.  Therefore, AeroVironment conducted a reasonable country of origin inquiry (“RCOI”) in good faith to determine whether any of the 3TG in its products originated in the Democratic Republic of Congo (“DRC”) or an adjoining country (collectively, the “Covered Countries”).  Based on its RCOI, AeroVironment believes that its products could contain 3TG that may have originated in the Covered Countries and, therefore, in accordance with the Rule, performed due diligence on the source and chain of custody of the 3TG in question to determine whether its products are “DRC Conflict Free.”  AeroVironment designed its due diligence measures to conform, in all material respects, with the nationally recognized due diligence framework in The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”) Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas and the related Supplements for gold and for tin, tantalum and tungsten (the “OECD Guidance”). As a result of our due diligence efforts, AeroVironment concluded in good faith that during 2014 its products are “DRC Conflict Undeterminable” (as defined in Form SD).

Description of Company Products and Programs

The following items provide additional detail on our products that contain 3TG:

Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) - Our small UAS typically consist of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles with payloads of electro-optical and infrared sensors, and multiple ground control stations. Modular battery packs provide power to the unmanned aerial vehicles and ground control stations.

Global Observer - Global Observer is our high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system in development.

Tactical Missile Systems — AeroVironment’s Switchblade is a remotely piloted, man-portable tactical missile system that consists of a tube-launched air vehicle, an explosive warhead, launch tube and a ground control station.

Passenger and Fleet Electric Vehicle Charging Systems - We offer a complete portfolio of charging infrastructure for passenger and fleet electric vehicles, including portable level 2 charging cords, overnight home chargers, public chargers, public fast chargers, installation services, data collection systems and communications through multiple wired and wireless data communications options.

PosiCharge Industrial Electric Vehicle Charging Systems - AeroVironment provides charging systems and related accessories for industrial forklifts, robotic vehicles and other industrial equipment.

Power Cycling and Test Systems - We supply a line of DC power cycling and test systems to research and development organizations that focus on electric propulsion systems, electric generation systems and electricity storage systems. In addition, these systems can emulate any drive train component, enabling the testing of individual components or partial drive trains.

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Design of Due Diligence

We designed our due diligence measures to conform, in all material respects, with the framework in the OECD Guidance.  The OECD Guidance identifies five steps for due diligence that should be implemented and provides guidance as to how to achieve each step.  We developed our due diligence process to address each of these five steps, namely:

·                  establishing strong company management systems regarding conflict minerals;

·                  identifying and assessing risks in our supply chain;

·                  designing and implementing a strategy to respond to identified risks in our supply chain;

·                  utilizing independent third-party audits of supply chain diligence; and

·                  publicly reporting on our supply chain due diligence.

We are a downstream supplier, many steps removed from the mining of 3TG. A large number of suppliers, through multiple tiers of distribution, supply the components and materials integrated into our products. Furthermore, AeroVironment does not purchase raw ore or unrefined conflict minerals or make purchases from the Covered Countries.   The origin of the conflict minerals cannot be determined with any certainty once the raw ores are smelted, refined and converted to ingots, bullion or other conflict mineral containing derivatives.  The smelters and refiners consolidate raw ore and represent the best actors in the total supply chain to possess knowledge of the origin of the ores they procure.

The OECD Guidance specifies that the requirements for compliance should reflect a company’s position in the supply chain.  In particular, the OECD Guidance states that the implementation of due diligence should be tailored to a company’s activities and relationships and that the nature and extent of due diligence may vary based on a company’s size, products, relationships with suppliers and other factors.  Due to practical difficulties associated with supply chain complexities, the OECD Guidance advises that downstream companies exercise due diligence primarily by establishing controls over their immediate suppliers.  Accordingly, we rely primarily on our “tier 1” (direct) suppliers to provide information with respect to the origin of the conflict minerals contained in the components and materials supplied to us.

Due Diligence Performed

Management Systems

Internal Compliance Team

AeroVironment established a cross-functional Conflict Mineral Compliance Team sponsored by Doug Scott, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, comprising representatives from our purchasing, subcontracts, legal and finance teams. Subject matter experts from relevant functions such as purchasing, subcontracts and engineering support this Conflict Mineral Compliance Team.

The Conflicts Mineral Compliance Team is responsible for implementing our conflict minerals compliance strategy. The Conflicts Mineral Compliance Team briefs senior management about the results of our due diligence efforts on a periodic basis.

Conflict Minerals Policy

We adopted a Conflict Minerals Policy articulating our conflict minerals supply chain diligence process and our commitment to our reporting obligations regarding conflict minerals.  Our policy is available on our website at www.avinc.com.

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Other Management Systems

We also implemented the following management systems to support our conflict minerals compliance program:

·                  When entering into or renewing supplier contracts we add a clause to require suppliers to provide information about the source of 3TG and smelters.

·                  We, through Assent Compliance, Inc. (“Assent”), (i) provide our suppliers with training on the Rule as well as our expectations regarding the responsible sourcing of conflict minerals, and (ii) leverage our existing communications with individual suppliers, specifically their procurement departments, to encourage their interactions with Assent as well as understand the requirement for completion. Feedback from this engagement allows us to enhance the training, focus and adapt it to each supplier’s needs. It also allows for our supplier communications to be more focused and ensure expectations are clear.

·                  We established multiple longstanding grievance mechanisms whereby employees and suppliers can report violations of AeroVironment’s policies, including with respect to conflict minerals.

·                  We implemented a document retention policy through Assent to retain conflict minerals related documents, including supplier responses to EICC/GeSI forms, also known as Conflict Minerals Reporting Template (“CMRT”) forms.  We store all of the information and findings from this process in a database that can be audited by internal or external parties.

Identify and assess risk in the supply chain

Because of our size, the complexity of our products, and the depth, breadth, and constant evolution of our supply chain, it is difficult to identify actors upstream from our direct suppliers.

Risks and Red Flags are identified automatically in the Assent Compliance Manager system based on criteria established for supplier responses in the System.

Red Flag responses are addressed by Assent Compliance Supply Chain staff who contact the supplier, gather pertinent data and perform an assessment of the supplier’s conflict minerals status.

The primary risk we identified with respect to the reporting period ended December 31, 2014 related to the nature of the responses received. A large number of the responses received provided data at a company or divisional level or were unable to specify the smelters or refiners used for 3TG in the components supplied to AeroVironment. Additionally, many suppliers indicated that they received information regarding their supply chains from fewer than 75% of their suppliers and, therefore, they could not provide a comprehensive list of all smelters or refiners in their supply chains.  We were, therefore, unable to determine all of the smelters or refiners in our supply chain and could not determine whether any of the conflict minerals contained in our products originated from the Covered Countries.

Design and Implement a Strategy to Respond to Risks

Together with Assent, we developed processes to assess and respond to the risks identified in our supply chain.  As discussed above, the primary risk we identified with respect to the reporting period ended December 31, 2014 related to the nature of the responses received and lack of information about the smelters and refiners used for 3TG in the components supplied to AeroVironment.  To address this risk, Assent Compliance Supply Chain staff worked with our suppliers to provide better and more accurate data on the source and country of origin of 3TG in the products supplied to us.  We are continuing to engage with our suppliers and offer them suggestions as to how to effectively diligence their own supply chains and complete the CMRT form.

Carry out Independent Third Party Audit of Supply Chain Due Diligence at Identified Points in the Supply Chain

We do not have a direct relationship with any 3TG smelters or refiners and do not perform or direct audits of these entities within our supply chain. Instead, we rely on third-party audits of smelters and refiners conducted as part of the CFSI Conflict-Free Smelter Program, which uses independent private sector auditors to audit the source, including the mines of origin, and the chain of custody of the conflict minerals used by smelters and refiners that agree to participate in the program.

Public Reporting on Supply Chain Due Diligence

We have published our Form SD for the year ended December 31, 2014 and this report in the Investor Relations section of our website at avinc.com.  Information found on or accessed through our website is not considered part of this report and is not incorporated by reference herein.  We have also publicly filed our Form SD and this report with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Supply Chain Review Results

To determine whether necessary 3TG in our products originated in Covered Countries, we retained Assent to assist us in reviewing our supply chain.  We conducted a survey of all our suppliers of components of our products. We decided not to further filter this list based on the necessity of the presence of 3TG in our products as AeroVironment could not definitively determine the presence or absence of 3TG in all parts supplied to us for our products.

During the supplier survey, we contacted suppliers via the Assent Compliance Manager, a SaaS platform provided by Assent that enables its users to complete and track supplier communications as well as allow suppliers to upload completed EICC-GeSI forms directly to the platform for red flag assessment and management. Assent requested that suppliers complete the CMRT forms and included training and education on the completion of the CMRT form in its mailing to suppliers.  Assent monitored and tracked all of these communications in Assent’s system for future reporting and transparency.

Assent periodically informed the Company of the response rate of suppliers during the diligence process.  AeroVironment directly contacted suppliers that were unresponsive to Assent’s communications during the diligence process and requested such suppliers to complete the CMRT form and submit such form to Assent.  Suppliers requesting additional information regarding the form were encouraged to review informational materials prepared by Assent and to contact Assent with further questions.

Of the 316 suppliers we surveyed, we received responses (via the Assent Compliance Manager and directly from suppliers) from approximately 91.1% of the suppliers surveyed.  Responses received from these suppliers represented approximately 84.4% of our total spend in 2013 and 2014 on components and materials for our products.  We reviewed the initial responses against criteria developed to determine which suppliers required further engagement based on the information provided. These criteria included incomplete responses as well as inconsistencies within the data reported on the CMRT form. AeroVironment and Assent worked directly with these suppliers to attempt to obtain revised responses.  Ultimately, approximately 10.8% of the responses received contained an inconsistency or were deemed incomplete.

Assent compared the list of smelters and refiners provided in our suppliers’ responses to the lists of smelters maintained by the Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative (“CFSI”), the United States Department of Commerce (“DoC”) and the London Bouillon Market Association (“LBMA”) and, if a supplier indicated that a facility was certified as conflict-free, confirmed that the facility was listed on CFSI’s list of validated conflict free smelters and refiners of 3TG.  Our suppliers identified a total of 279 smelters and refiners that appear on the lists maintained by CFSI, the DoC and the LBMA.  Of these 279 smelters and refiners, 150 are validated as conflict free by CFSI, and, based on information provided by CFSI, a further 42 have agreed to undergo or are currently undergoing a third-party audit.  Most of the CMRTs we received were made on a company or division level basis which did not allow us to identify which smelters or refiners listed by our suppliers actually processed the 3TG contained in our products.  All smelters and refiners identified by our suppliers that we believe may source 3TG from the Covered Countries appear on CFSI’s list of validated conflict free smelters and refiners.

Facilities, Country of Origin and Mines

Efforts to Determine Mine or Location of Origin

Our efforts to determine the mine or location of origin of the necessary conflict minerals contained in our products that are DRC Conflict Undeterminable include the due diligence efforts described in this report.

Facilities Used to Process, and Country of Origin of, the Necessary Conflict Minerals in our Products

Attached as Appendix A is a list of all of the smelters and refiners listed by our suppliers in their completed CMRTs that appear on the lists of smelters maintained by the CFSI, DoC and LBMA.  Because most of the CMRTs we received from our suppliers were made on a company or division level basis, rather than on a product-level basis, we are not able to identify which smelters or refiners listed on Appendix A actually processed the 3TGs contained in our products.  Therefore, our list of processing smelters and refiners disclosed in Appendix A may contain more facilities than those that actually processed the conflict minerals contained in our products.

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Steps to be taken to mitigate risk

Since December 31, 2014, we have taken or intend to take the following steps to improve the due diligence conducted to further mitigate any risk that the necessary 3TGs in our products could benefit armed groups in the DRC or adjoining countries:

a.                    Work more closely with our third party conflict minerals service provider to obtain CMRTs on a product-specific basis to enable us to determine which smelters and refiners actually process 3TGs contained in our products.

b.                    Engage with our suppliers more closely and provide suppliers with more information and training resources regarding responsible sourcing of 3TGs.

c.                     Encourage our suppliers to have due diligence procedures in place for their supply chains to improve the content of the responses from such suppliers.

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APPENDIX A

A-1

A-2

A-3

A-4

A-5

A-6

A-7

* CFSI Compliant

Countries of origin for these facilities are believed to include: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile, China, DRC, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mali, Mexico, Mozambique, Namibia, Peru, Russian Federation, Rwanda, South Africa, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

A-8