Kaman forecasts tenfold return on new KARGO expeditionary UAV
As development of Kaman's KARGO UAV continues at pace, the company is anticipating high demand based on interest from the USMC and talks with the US Air Force and US Army.
RQ-20B Puma 3 AE small UAS. (Photo: USMC/Lance Cpl Frank Cordoba)
AeroVironment is providing its RQ-20B Puma 3 AE small UAS to Uzbekistan under the FMS programme, the DoD revealed on 27 January.
Work on the $8.54 million deal from US Army Contracting Command will be completed by 30 November 2022.
While the DoD did not disclose how many Puma 3 AE systems will be provided under the contract, Shephard Defence Insight gives a unit price of $225,000 for the UAS.
This translates into 38 or so aircraft for Uzbekistan.
The Puma 3 AE provides intelligence and targeting data from the land or sea through real-time imagery. The UAS is equipped with the Mantis i45 AE Gimbal by AeroVironment that contains two 15mp EO cameras with 50x zoom, IR capabilities and high-power illumination.
In August 2021, AeroVironment announced the introduction of standardised modular payload interface kits. These allowed third-party payload manufacturers and the US DoD and international partners to develop and integrate payloads onto the Puma quickly and easily.
As development of Kaman's KARGO UAV continues at pace, the company is anticipating high demand based on interest from the USMC and talks with the US Air Force and US Army.
Plans are in place to expand the capabilities of the Throwbot 2 UGV to transport additional payloads.
Orbital UAV will deliver a test engine to Anduril in the coming weeks for evaluation.
New mini-UAV from Polish manufacturer WB Group is designed for reconnaissance missions but it can also function as a loitering munition with small thermobaric, shaped charge or high-explosive warheads.
General Atomics is branching out with a new MQ-9B short take off and landing (STOL) MQ-9B product line.
The Maritime Heron MALE UAS has proved itself capable of operating under UK regulations.