U.S. Army Orders Puma 3 AE UAS

The Pentagon announced the sale of Puma 3 AE Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) to the U.S. Army.

“Aerovironment Incorporated, Simi Valley, California, was awarded a $10,082,845 firm-fixed-price contract for the Puma 3 AE,” as per an official release issued Thursday.

Work will be performed in Simi Valley, California, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2022.

Puma 3 AE delivers mission critical capabilities in all environments. The UAS has a wingspan of 9.2 feet (2.8 meters), weighs 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms) and can operate up to 37.2 miles (60 kilometers) with AeroVironment’s Long-Range Tracking Antenna (LRTA). Multi-mission capable, operators can easily swap Puma 3 AE’s payloads quickly, selecting between the Mantis i45 and the enhanced night variant, Mantis i45 N. Puma 3 AE is launchable by hand, bungee, rail, or vehicle, and is recoverable by deep-stall landing.