Following completion of a Puma AE intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance mission, the AeroVironment Precision Recovery System
provides for the autonomous on-board recovery of the aircraft, without
interrupting the ship’s operations.Because the Puma AE is also
designed to land and float in water, operators can choose to recover
it from the ocean, should mission requirements dictate.
The AeroVironment Precision Recovery System occupies a small footprint
and can be managed and operated by members of a ship’s crew,
as opposed to requiring external contractors. It is transported in
tactical packaging that can be hand-carried aboard and readily transferred
from one ship to another.
“Our Precision Recovery System expands the capability of Puma
AE to support maritime operations.This solution also builds on AeroVironment’s
extensive operational experience with small UAS to provide the Navy
with a low-cost, hand-launched capability optimized for contested
environments,” said Kirk Flittie, vice president and general
manager of AeroVironment’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems business
segment. “Puma AE’s ability to operate from a wide variety
of surface vessels ensures rapid response reconnaissance capabilities
that help our customers operate more safely and effectively and proceed
with certainty.”
Puma AE can be launched and recovered very quickly.The UAS features
a gimbaled payload that delivers high quality electro-optical (EO)
and infrared (IR) imagery and AeroVironment’s secure Digital
Data Link (DDL).These features improve situational awareness for the
ship and also for boat crews who carry their own remote video terminal
(“Pocket DDL”) during approach and assist or other missions.
AeroVironment developed the Puma AE system to compete for, and win,
a 2008 United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) competitive
program of record and subsequently supplied the system to the U.S.
Navy Expeditionary Combat Command Coastal Riverine Forces, the US
Army for convoy and ground troop support and the US Marine Corps.
Most recently, the Navy procured Puma AE systems for use aboard Patrol
Craft and also deployed them aboard a US Navy Expeditionary Fast Transport
(T-EPF) ship in support of counter illicit trafficking operations
in the Caribbean. The Puma AE is also employed by several international
partners.
The United States Department of Defense recently established the designation
RQ-20B for the block 2 Puma AE small UAS.The block 2 Puma AE system
includes a more powerful and lighter propulsion system, lighter and
stronger airframe, long endurance battery, precision inertial navigation
system and an improved user interface.The new, all environment Mantis
i45 gimbal sensor suite for Puma AE delivers a dramatic leap in small
UAS image resolution and ISR capability and will be available for
ordering in September.
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