AeroVironment Launches New Puma™ LE, Delivering Group 2 Capabilities in a Group 1 Footprint with Increased Range, Endurance...
October 14 2019 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
- Rapidly deployable via hand-launch, Puma LE’s 5.5-hour
endurance delivers persistent data with increased time on station,
in an economical two-case mission packout
- Puma LE’s 5.5-pound total payload capacity includes a secondary
payload bay with dedicated power supply and Ethernet connection,
making Puma LE the ideal multi-mission platform for third-party
payload integration
- Shared plug-and-play interoperability with Puma AE components
reduces logistical and training impact
AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV), a global leader in unmanned
aircraft systems (UAS), today announced the launch of Puma LE (Long
Endurance), the next generation in its Puma All Environment small
UAS product line. Puma LE builds on the combat-proven Puma AE
legacy with new capabilities, increased range, and expanded payload
capacity. With the integrated Mantis i45 gimbaled EO/IR sensor and
NVG-visible laser illuminator, Puma LE provides the warfighter with
superior imagery for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance
(ISR) during day, night and low-light operations on land and in
maritime environments.
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AeroVironment’s new Puma LE small
unmanned aircraft system (Photo: AeroVironment)
Delivering Group 2 capabilities in a Group 1 footprint, the
aircraft weighs only 22.5 pounds (10.4 kilograms), and is
launchable by hand or bungee, making Puma LE easy to deploy and
recover. On-board batteries provide 5.5 hours of flight endurance,
doubling the time on station of Puma 3 AE, with an operational
range of 60 kilometers when used with AeroVironment’s Long-Range
Tracking Antenna (LRTA). Puma LE’s economical dual-case mission
pack contains everything needed to perform two complete 5.5-hour
missions with a single aircraft and Ground Control System
(GCS).
Puma LE is purpose-built for multi-mission operations with up to
5.5 pounds of total payload capacity. The aircraft’s ruggedized
secondary payload bay enables the integration of third-party
payloads with a dedicated power supply providing 18-24 volts at up
to 5 amps, and an Ethernet connection port for payload
communications. This capability provides the flexibility for
operators to incorporate specialized payloads such as electronic
warfare, RF emitter geolocation, laser designation, communications
relay and others.
“Puma LE is the next generation of the combat-proven Puma AE
small UAS, delivering immediate tactical ISR, extended endurance
and a dedicated secondary payload bay to dramatically expand its
mission capabilities,” said Rick Pedigo, vice president of sales
and business development for AeroVironment. “With Puma LE,
AeroVironment expands the envelope of small unmanned aircraft
systems, and enables our customers to proceed with certainty in
ever-changing operational environments.”
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 is now accepting orders for Puma LE, with expected
delivery in spring 2020. For more information, visit AeroVironment
at the AUSA 2019 Annual Meeting & Exposition, Booth #425, or at
www.avinc.com/pumale.
About AeroVironment Tactical UAS
The RQ-20A/B Puma™, Puma LE, RQ-11B Raven®, RQ-12A Wasp®,
together with VAPOR Helicopter UAS comprise AeroVironment’s family
of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems. This Family of Systems provides
increased capability to the warfighter that gives ground commanders
the option of selecting the appropriate aircraft based on the type
of mission to be performed. This increased capability has the
potential to provide significant force protection and force
multiplication benefits to small tactical units and security
personnel. AeroVironment provides logistics services worldwide to
ensure a consistently high level of operational readiness.
AeroVironment has delivered thousands of new and replacement small
unmanned air vehicles to customers within the United States and to
more than 45 allied governments.
About AeroVironment, Inc.
AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) provides customers with more
actionable intelligence so they can proceed with certainty. Based
in California, AeroVironment is a global leader in unmanned
aircraft systems and tactical missile systems, and serves defense,
government, and commercial customers. For more information visit
www.avinc.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements in this press release may constitute
"forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are made
on the basis of current expectations, forecasts and assumptions
that involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited
to, economic, competitive, governmental and technological factors
outside of our control, that may cause our business, strategy or
actual results to differ materially from those expressed or
implied. Factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from the forward-looking statements include, but are not
limited to, our ability to perform under existing contracts and
obtain additional contracts; changes in the regulatory environment;
the activities of competitors; failure of the markets in which we
operate to grow; failure to expand into new markets; failure to
develop new products or integrate new technology with current
products; and general economic and business conditions in the
United States and elsewhere in the world. For a further list and
description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports we
file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not intend,
and undertake no obligation, to update any forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events
or otherwise.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191014005228/en/
AeroVironment, Inc. Steven Gitlin +1 (805) 520-8350 pr@avinc.com
Mark Boyer For AeroVironment, Inc. +1 (310) 229-5956
mark@boyersyndicate.com
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