AeroVironment receives $15.9 million US Air Force UAS order

Multi-domain intelligent robotic systems producer AeroVironment Inc. has received two firm-fixed-price orders totaling $15,940,378 from the United States Air Force. The orders encompass the procurement of Puma 3 AE unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and spares packages, as well as Raven UAS spares packages. The Puma 3 AE systems and spares were delivered on April 30, 2021. Delivery of the Raven spares is anticipated by November 2021.

“The combat-proven Puma 3 AE and Raven are versatile, rugged and reliable tactical unmanned aircraft systems designed to provide the United States Air Force Security Forces with the enhanced situational awareness and mission effectiveness they require when safeguarding bases,” said Trace Stevenson, AeroVironment vice president and product line general manager for small UAS.

The AeroVironment Puma 3 AE UAS is designed for land and maritime operations. Capable of landing in water or on land, the all-environment Puma 3 AE and Mantis i45 EO/IR sensor suite empower operators with extended flight time and a level of imaging capability previously unavailable in the tactical UAS class. The hand-launched Puma 3 AE has a wingspan of 9.2ft, weighs 15 lb, and can operate for up to 2.5 hours. The aircraft also has a range of 12.4 miles (20km) with a standard antenna, and up to 37.2 miles (60km) with AeroVironment’s Long-Range Tracking Antenna (LRTA). It also features reduced system packaging with a flyable configuration and ground control system (GCS) in one case.

AeroVironment’s Raven system is designed for rapid deployment and high mobility for operations requiring low-altitude intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. With a wingspan of 4.5ft (1.4m) and weighing 4.2 lb (1.9kg), the hand-launched Raven provides situational awareness, day or night, with an operational range of 6.2 miles (10km). The Raven’s Mantis i23 EO/IR gimbaled payload delivers real-time video or infrared imagery to ground control and remote viewing stations.

Both Raven and Puma 3 AE UAS can be operated using Crysalis, AeroVironment’s next-generation ground control solution for command and control, which improves battlefield communication and collaboration by enabling users to easily share real-time information and coordinate mission-critical decisions.

AeroVironment has delivered tens of thousands of new and replacement unmanned air vehicles to customers within the United States and to more than 50 allied governments.