Intro
The Puma series UAVs are small, fixed-wing electric aircraft designed for tactical ISR missions where rapid deployment, portability, and all-environment operability are critical. Both Puma 3 AE and Puma LE are part of AeroVironment’s All Environment (AE) family, built for military and security use with lightweight composite airframes, hand or bungee launch capability, and deep-stall autonomous recovery, eliminating the need for runways. The Puma 3 AE features a wingspan of 2.8 m and a length of 1.4 m, weighing at 7.1 kg, balancing compactness with aerodynamic efficiency for up to 3 hours of flight endurance when equipped with its extended-life battery.
The Puma 3 AE uses a Mantis i45 gimbaled EO/IR sensor suite that includes high-resolution electro-optical cameras and infrared sensors, enabling day/night, and low-light operations. It is optimized for hand, bungee, rail, or optional VTOL launches and supports deep-stall recovery on land or water, making it versatile across mission profiles. The aircraft’s reinforced airframe and enhanced digital data link with AES-256 encryption ensure durability and secure communications even in contested environments. Operators can control the UAV manually or via programmed autonomous waypoints through a common ground control station system.
The newer Puma LE (Long Endurance) variant evolves the platform by delivering Group 2 performance within a Group 1 footprint, significantly extending flight endurance (up to 6.5 hours with modular batteries) and increasing overall mission payload capacity. Puma LE retains compatibility with legacy Puma AE components for reduced logistics and features a dedicated secondary payload bay with power and Ethernet interfaces for specialty sensors such as laser target designators and communications relays. Optional visual navigation system kits and universal gimbal payload kits further enhance autonomy and operational flexibility in GNSS-denied environments.