US AeroVironment enhances upgraded Puma drones for challenging airspace

US AeroVironment is set to upgrade its flagship Puma unmanned aerial systems (UAS), enhancing their capabilities with new software to improve performance in contested and denied airspace.

In an announcement, the company revealed that both the Puma 3 AE and Puma LE drones will receive software updates to bolster their effectiveness in challenging electromagnetic environments, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

The software upgrade will enable the Puma drones to maintain reliable mission performance and navigation, even in areas where GPS signals may be unreliable, degraded, or intentionally disrupted. This enhancement ensures that the drones can continue to perform critical tasks autonomously and securely, reducing dependence on GPS and improving their ability to operate in hostile conditions.

The new software will equip the Puma 3 AE and LE drones with Assured Position Navigation and Timing (APNT) capabilities, which will improve navigational accuracy on the modern battlefield. Additionally, the drones will feature high-performance visual navigation, which provides an extra layer of spoofing detection and rejection.

The upgrade also includes enhanced security for communications, ensuring safe and robust operations in highly-contested environments. Furthermore, the software improvements will enable a 60 per cent increase in payload capacity, allowing the drones to carry advanced multi-mission support systems.

“With these software upgrades, we are reinforcing the adaptability and resilience of our Puma UAS to perform in the most demanding battlefield environments,” said Trace Stevenson, AeroVironment’s Vice President for Uncrewed Systems. “These capabilities enable warfighters to maintain operational superiority, even when adversaries attempt to disrupt critical systems, ensuring higher mission success rates and survivability.”

AeroVironment confirmed that all new Puma drones will come equipped with the upgraded software, while existing users will have the option to upgrade their systems.

The Puma AE is a lightweight unmanned system designed to provide intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) in a wide range of environments. It offers a flight endurance of up to three hours and can be launched manually, via bungee, rail, or vehicle.

The Puma LE, a heavier version of the UAS, is equipped with a 5.5-pound (2.5 kg) payload capacity. It can fly for up to 6.5 hours and reach a range of 60 kilometres (37 miles) in both land and maritime environments when used with a long-range tracking antenna.

By Vafa Guliyeva