Nichols Martin
AeroVironment has released a long endurance variant of the firm’s Puma small unmanned aircraft system, a platform that captures imagery for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations.
The company said Monday its Puma Long Endurance, or LE, offers boosted range and a larger payload capacity than the existing Puma All Environment.
Puma LE uses a Mantis i45 electro-optical/infrared sensor and a laser illuminator to provide needed ISR imagery. The new UAS weighs 22.5 pounds, flies for up to 5.5 hours, and has a 5.5-pound payload capacity.
The long endurance aircraft also supports payload communications via an ethernet port.
Operators can launch the aircraft by hand or a bungee and conduct flights via a ground control system. Puma LE comes with a dual-case mission pack with the resources needed for two 5.5-hour flights.
