Marine Corps Orders More AeroVironment Puma 3 AE Unmanned Aircraft Systems

ARLINGTON, Va. — AeroVironment Inc. received a $6.2 million firm-fixed-price contract award for Puma 3 AE small unmanned aircraft systems and spares on May 3, for the U.S. Marine Corps, the company said in a June 14 release. Delivery is anticipated to be completed in July 2022.

“Puma 3 AE has proven itself as the ideal solution for low-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions in any operational environment and continues to serve as the backbone of the U.S. Marine Corps Medium Range/Medium Endurance Forces,” said Trace Stevenson, AeroVironment vice president and product line general manager for SUAS.

AeroVironment’s Puma 3 AE delivers mission critical capabilities in all environments. Puma 3 AE has a wingspan of 9.2 feet (2.8 meters), weighs 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms) and can operate up to 37.2 miles (60 kilometers) with AeroVironment’s Long-Range Tracking Antenna. Multi-mission capable, operators can easily swap Puma 3 AE’s payloads quickly, selecting between the Mantis i45 and the enhanced night variant, Mantis i45 N. Puma 3 AE is launchable by hand, bungee, rail, or vehicle, and is recoverable by deep-stall landing, providing class-leading capabilities in challenging environments around the world.

AeroVironment’s SUAS comprise the majority of all unmanned aircraft in the U.S. Department of Defense inventory, and its rapidly growing international customer base numbers more than 50 allied governments, including Ukraine.