Facts

• Company: AeroVironment
• Product type: UAV
• Status: commercial
• Website: https://www.avinc.com/

Profile sections

• Summary
• Overview
• Market context
• Audience
• Workflow
• Capability
• Deployment environment
• Positioning tags
• Specifications
• Tags
• Timeline / Research
• Operations Claims / Customers and deployments
• Comparable Systems
• Sources

Summary

Puma 3 AE is AeroVironment's hand-launched small UAS for land and maritime ISR. It pairs an all-environment airframe with a gimballed EO/IR payload for tactical surveillance, force protection and public-safety missions.

Overview

Puma 3 AE is AeroVironment's hand-launched small UAS for land and maritime ISR. It pairs an all-environment airframe with a gimballed EO/IR payload for tactical surveillance, force protection and public-safety missions.

Market context

AeroVironment Puma 3 AE tactical ISR small UAS with Mantis i45 EO/IR payload for defense and public safety missions.

• Target environment: Defence field units, maritime operations and austere tactical environments.
• Workflow context: Tactical reconnaissance, surveillance, target observation and remote video intelligence.
• Deployment model: Hand-launched small UAS operated by military and public-sector teams.
• Commercial maturity: Mature fielded small UAS used by defence, government and public-sector operators.
• Adoption constraints: Requires trained operators, sensor payload management, tactical communications and airspace coordination.
• Market position: Established Blue UAS-class tactical ISR drone with broad defence adoption.
• Adjacent products: Small tactical ISR UAV for field units needing portable reconnaissance and surveillance.

Audience

Defense

Workflow

Tactical reconnaissance, surveillance, target observation and remote video intelligence.

Capability

Remote operation

Deployment environment

Defence field units, maritime operations and austere tactical environments.

Positioning tags

• Audience: Defense
• Workflow: Tactical reconnaissance, surveillance, target observation and remote video intelligence.
• Capability: Remote operation
• Deployment environment: Defence field units, maritime operations and austere tactical environments.

Specifications

• Endurance: 3 hours
• Range: 20 km standard; 40 km with ERA; 60 km with LRTA
• Wingspan: 2.8 m / 9.2 ft
• Length: 1.4 m / 4.6 ft
• Payload Capacity: 1.8 kg standard; 2.9 kg with Heavy Lift Software
• Payload Options: Mantis i45 and enhanced Mantis i45 N payloads for day, night, and low-light operations
• Operational Environment: Land and maritime all-environment operations
• Task Scope: Tactical ISR, land operations, and maritime operations
• Weight Kg: 7 kg

Tags

• Peer Group: Tactical ISR UAV
• Workflow: Drone ISR
• Capability: Remote operation
• Deployment Environment: Defence operational environment
• Stack Layer: Finished robot platform
• Commercial Stage: Commercial product
• Market Signal: Blue UAS platform

Timeline / Research

• 2022-09-20 - Contract Award - AeroVironment secures $20.86 million Puma 3 AE FMS awards - AeroVironment announced two firm-fixed-price U.S. Department of Defense Foreign Military Sales awards totaling $20.86 million for…

Operations Claims / Customers and deployments

• Contract Value Usd - $20.86 million - 2022-09-20 - allied nations via Foreign Military Sales - military small-UAS procurement - AeroVironment secured $20.86 million in Puma 3 AE unmanned aircraft systems Foreign Militar…

Comparable Systems

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• Bayraktar TB2 - Baykar - UAV