Ukraine will procure 11 AeroVironment-made PUMA-LE Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) that will allow their forces to peek into Russian-held positions far behind the battle lines. This procurement valued $14.666 million would take place through the Army of Drones project. The PUMA-LE Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), together with Long-Range Tracking Antenna (LRTA), would be able to cover a distance of up to 60 km. The AeroVironment Puma is an American unmanned aircraft system which is small, battery powered, and hand-launched. Its primary mission is surveillance and intelligence gathering using an electro-optical and infrared camera. It is produced by AeroVironment.
The AeroVironment Puma is an American unmanned aircraft system which is small, battery powered, and hand-launched. Its primary mission is surveillance and intelligence gathering using an electro-optical and infrared camera. Puma LE (Long Endurance) is upgrade of the Puma with expanded battery-operated endurance to 5.5 hours. The payload bay offers dedicated power and Ethernet, providing 3.4 lb of payload capacity. Designed with mission efficiency in mind, operators can swap between Mantis™ i45 and the optional Mantis i45 N for day and nighttime night operations. Its plug-and-play, interoperable LRU components can be shared across other Puma aircraft.
Puma LE can be operated manually or autonomously with AeroVironment’s common GCS. Puma LE utilizes plug and play, interoperable line-replaceable unit (LRU) components that can be shared with other Puma AE aircraft. This native compatibility reduces training and logistical impact for operators. In addition, current Puma AE customers can now optimize their fielded systems by purchasing Puma LE as an add-on aircraft and easily installing Puma AE LRU components. Multiple Puma LE system options provide the flexibility for customers to choose the right configuration based on mission requirements.
AeroVironment, Inc. is an American defense contractor headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, that designs and manufactures unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Dr. Paul B. MacCready Jr., a designer of human-powered aircraft, founded the company in 1971. The company is best known for its lightweight human-powered and solar-powered vehicles. The company is the US military’s top supplier of small drones — notably the Raven, Switchblade, Wasp and Puma models. On April 1, 2022, the United States announced a $300 million military aid package to Ukraine that included Puma drones.