RQ-20A Puma

The RQ-20A Puma All Environment (AE) is a 13.5-pound, battery-powered, hand-launched SUAS providing near real-time, land-based and maritime ISR operations. It can scan an area 360 degrees using a lightweight, electro-optical and infrared gimbal camera. It allows small units the ability to detect Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and IED-emplacement teams. Each system consists of three air vehicles, one ground control station and one remote video terminal.

Much smaller than ScanEagle, the Puma AE weighs just 13 pounds and was designed for combat environments, man portable for ease of mobility, and requires no auxiliary equipment for launch or recovery operations. The system is fully waterproof, is quiet to avoid detection and operates autonomously, providing persistent intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting data (ISRT). Puma AE carries both an electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) camera on a lightweight mechanically and digitally stabilized gimbaled payload allowing the operator to keep a visual on the target during the entire flight profile.

The air vehicle’s modular design allows for alternative payload development to meet the needs of specific military or DHS border security applications. The air vehicle is operated from a Ground Control Station (GCS) with a communications range of 15KM and has a flight endurance of 2 hours.

The RQ-20A, Puma AE is an Afghanistan War proven SUAV . The Puma was developed by AeroVironment Corporation and is deployed at the small unit level in the United States Army. The Puma is the newest addition to the Army’s UAV program and will number 323 separate systems (3 aircraft per system) when fully fielded.