TSAMTO, March 12. AeroVironment on March 11 announced the conclusion of a contract with the US Department of Defense on December 22, 2020 for the supply of Puma-3AE tactical UAVs to an unnamed allied European state under the Foreign Military Sales program (FMS).
The cost of the agreement was $ 5.92 million. The delivery should be completed by April 2021. The contract also provides for the provision of training and support services.
According to Rick Pedigo, vice president of business development and sales at AeroVironment, the Puma-3AE will provide allies with the ability to conduct intelligence at the tactical level, increase situational awareness and minimize threats on land and at sea.
UAV "Puma-3AE" can be used on land and at sea, carried by one soldier, launched "by hand". The UAV has a wingspan of 9.2 feet( 2.8 m) and a maximum take – off weight of 15 pounds (6.8 kg). The UAV is equipped with an EO/IR monitoring unit "Mantis i45" (Mantis i45). The duration of the UAV flight is about 2.5 hours with continuous monitoring and high-resolution image output at any time of the day. The UAV performs tasks at a distance of up to 20 km in the line of sight with a standard antenna and up to 60 km with a long-range tracking antenna (LRTA). The device is waterproof and can land on water.
