USMC orders Puma AE UAS
AeroVironment will supply RQ-20A Puma AE unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to the US Marine Corps as part of a $13 million order announced on 25 November.
The order, issued by ADS on behalf of the marine corps, also includes an initial spares package.
The marine corps uses the Puma AE system as the long-range solution for its small unit remote scouting system (SURSS), complementing the RQ-11B Raven and RQ-12A Wasp AE UAS. Together the systems provide a means to see the battlespace beyond line-of-sight restrictions.
Delivery of the systems is planned within 12 months.
The Puma AE can be launched by hand and is capable of landing on the ground or in fresh or salt water. It weighs 13.5lbs, operates for over 210 minutes at a range of up to 15km and delivers live, streaming colour and infrared video, and laser illumination from its pan-tilt-zoom Mantis i23 AE gimbaled payload.
Kirk Flittie, vice president and general manager UAS, AeroVironment, said: ‘The Puma AE UAS delivers situational awareness directly to its operator in ground, riverine and maritime operations. Working with the professionals at ADS, we continue to support the marine corps with reliable, easy-to-use UAS solutions that help give them information superiority on the battlefield.’
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