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RQ-20 Puma
AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma
Role	Remote controlled UASType of aircraft
Manufacturer	AeroVironment
First flight	2007
Introduction	2008
Primary users	United States Army United States Marine Corps United States Air Force
Number built	+ 1,000

The AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma is a small, battery powered, American, hand-launched unmanned aircraft system produced by AeroVironment based in California. Primary mission is surveillance and intelligence gathering using an electro-optical and infrared camera.

Design and development

Previously selected for the United States Special Operations Command in 2008, in March 2012 the United States Army ordered the Puma All Environment (AE) and designated it the RQ-20A. In April, the United States Marine Corps and United States Air Force placed a similar order for the RQ-20A. Each military RQ-20A system has three air vehicles and two ground stations. The Puma AE can operate under extreme weather conditions including temperatures ranging from −20 to 120 °F (−29 to 49 °C), wind speeds up to 25 knots (29 mph; 46 km/h), and an inch of rain per hour.

On 26 July 2013, the Puma became one of the first unmanned aerial vehicles to be granted certification by the Federal Aviation Administration to fly in U.S. airspace for commercial purposes. AeroVironment expects one to be deployed to Alaska to support oil spill response crews and count wildlife. The Puma can safely accomplish observation missions in hazardous Arctic locations, which is safer, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly than using manned aircraft. Commercial certification was the result of previous military certification and the Congressionally-mandated opening of airspace over much of Alaska to small UAVs. The FAA also certified the Boeing Insitu ScanEagle, also planned to be deployed to Alaska. Only three individual Pumas were certified with strict requirements: only one aircraft of the type is allowed airborne at any one time, they cannot fly through clouds or icing conditions, and they cannot take off or land during certain gust and wind conditions. The certifications did not mention line-of-sight control.

On 8 June 2014, the Puma AE made its first flight for BP in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, making it the first authorized unmanned commercial flight over land.

The UK tested ISR packages compatible with the Puma AE on board the M80 Stiletto trials ship in November 2014 under Capability Demonstration 15-1.

On 20 January 2016, a number of RQ-20 were captured by the Turkish army from the PKK. It is suspected that the Kurdish militants were able to acquire these drones from their Syrian affiliates.

In August 2016, AeroVironment announced the U.S. Navy had tested and deployed the RQ-20B Puma aboard a Flight I Guided Missile Destroyer, which included the company's Precision Recovery System to autonomously recover the aircraft aboard a ship. The Puma is also being utilized on Navy patrol craft in the Persian Gulf.

Variants

RQ-20A Puma

Military designation for the Puma All Environment variant.

Enhanced Puma

Upgrade of the RQ-20A Puma AE with more powerful propulsion system and new batteries that increase endurance by 75 percent to 3.5 hours, auxiliary payload bay to integrate payloads while keeping the video camera, precision navigation system with secondary GPS, and a redesigned durable fuselage with reinforced construction and improved aerodynamics. Available in early 2014.

Solar Puma

Puma AE powered by ultra-thin solar cells that increases endurance to 9 hours. Production version planned for early 2014.

RQ-20B

Block 2 Puma AE, includes a more powerful and lighter propulsion system, lighter and stronger airframe, long endurance battery, precision inertial navigation system an improved user interface, and the new, all environment Mantis i45 gimbal sensor suite.

LRTA Puma

Puma AE upgraded with a long-range tracking antenna (LRTA) that extends range to 60 kilometers (37.28 miles). Available Spring 2018.

Puma LE (Long Endurance)

Puma with expanded battery-operated endurance to 5.5 hours, revealed in May 2019.

Operators

 Belgium

• Belgian Army - Leased from the US Army in 2017

 Canada

• Canadian Army

 Czech Republic

• Army of the Czech Republic - Have been operating an unknown number of Puma AE since at least 2012.

 Denmark

• Royal Danish Army - Bought Puma AE in 2012. Upgraded to Puma AE II in 2016.

 Egypt

• Egyptian Army - RQ-20B Puma AE II UAVs, delivery to be completed by 2020.

 Estonia

• Estonian Army - Unknown number of RQ20B Puma AE II UAVs purchased in September 2018. Delivery to be expected by March 2019.

 France

• Commandos Marine - Unknown number of Puma AE UAVs purchased in 2017 followed by an additional puchase in 2020.

 Germany

• German Navy - 3 RQ-20B Puma AE II systems in service.

 Latvia

• Latvian Army - 3 RQ-20A Puma systems

 Netherlands

• Royal Marechaussee

 New Zealand

• New Zealand Army - Operates a single top-end AeroVironment Puma drone.

 Norway

• Norwegian Army - Bought Puma AE in 2018-2019.

 Kosovo

• Kosovo Security Forces - Seeks to buy 4 drones by 2021.

 Spain

• Spanish Army - Operates an unknown number of Puma AE.

 Sweden

• Swedish Army- Bought Puma AE in 2012.

 United Kingdom

• Fleet Air Arm

 United States

• United States Special Operations Command
• United States Army – 325 systems, one per infantry company and 18 per brigade
• United States Marine Corps
• United States Navy
• United States Air Force
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Specifications

Data from Puma AE data sheet

General characteristics

• Length: 4 ft 7 in (1.4 m)
• Wingspan: 9 ft 2 in (2.8 m)
• Max takeoff weight: 13 lb (5.9 kg)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 52 mph (83 km/h, 45 kn)
• Minimum control speed: 23 mph (37 km/h, 20 kn)
• Range: 9.3 mi (15 km, 8.1 nmi)
• Endurance: 2 hours

See also

• List of unmanned aerial vehicles

References

1. ^ US Navy deploying new RQ-20B AeroVironment Puma AE aboard Guided Missile Destroyer - Navyrecognition.com, 11 August 2016
2. "The AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma is a small-class surveillance UAV utilized in large numbers by the US military". Military Factory. 29 March 2018.
3. ^ "U.S. Army Places $20.4 Million Order for AeroVironment RQ-20A Puma AE Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems". Archived from the original on 2015-06-23. Retrieved 2012-05-03.
4. "U.S. Marine Corps First to Procure Four Different AeroVironment Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems with $5.5 Million RQ-20A Puma Order". Archived from the original on 2015-06-24. Retrieved 2012-05-03.
5. AeroVironment Scores Another Small UAS Success Archived 2013-05-22 at the Wayback Machine - Ainonline.com, 27 April 2012
6. Puma unmanned craft tested on USS Gonzalez Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine - Upi.com, 23 September 2015
7. AeroVironment's Puma becomes first UAV to earn FAA commercial certification Archived 2018-03-21 at the Wayback Machine, FlightGlobal, 26 July 2013
8. FAA certifies two UAVs for commercial operations Archived 2013-08-04 at the Wayback Machine, FlightGlobal, 26 July 2013
9. Drone at Prudhoe Bay makes first FAA-authorized unmanned commercial flight over land - adn.com, 10 June 2014
10. Scott, Richard (26 October 2014). "Dstl plans unmanned ISR payload demonstration from Stiletto". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. Archived from the original on 27 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
11. "PKK sığınağında İHA bulundu" (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 2016-01-25. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
12. AeroVironment Introduces Block Upgrade to Puma AE Unmanned Aircraft System, Including 75 Percent Increase in Flight Duration Archived 2013-10-21 at the Wayback Machine - sUASNews.com, 21 October 2013
13. Allen McDuffee, "Launch This New 9-Hour Solar-Powered Drone from Your Shoulder" Archived 2014-03-16 at the Wayback Machine, Wired, 13 August 2013
14. AeroVironment Solar-Powered Puma AE Small Unmanned Aircraft Achieves Continuous Flight for More Than Nine Hours Archived 2013-08-21 at the Wayback Machine - sUASNews.com, 16 August 2013
15. AeroVironment's PUMA AE UAS receives new antenna Archived 2019-02-13 at the Wayback Machine - Armyrecognition.com, 15 September 2017
16. "SOFIC 2019: AeroVironment "soft laucnhes" Puma LE". Mönch Publishing Group. 23 May 2019. Archived from the original on 23 May 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
17. "La Belgique recourt aux mini-drones Puma pour l'Irak" (in French). Archived from the original on 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
18. Eshel, Tamir (2012-06-12). "Sweden, Denmark Opt for PUMA AE, Wasp Mini-UAVs". Defense Update:. Retrieved 2021-08-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
19. ^ Kunertova, Dominika (2019). Military Drones in Europe (PDF). Denmark: University of Southern Denmark. p. 19.
20. "Danish Armed Forces Select AeroVironment's Puma AE Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems". AeroVironment, Inc. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
21. "Contracts: Press Operations: Release No: CR-050-18". Archived from the original on 2018-03-18. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
22. "AeroVironment Awarded $44.5 Million Puma AE UAS Contract from a Major Country in the Middle East". Archived from the original on 2018-03-18. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
23. "Estonia and Portugal procure AeroVironment small unmanned aircraft systems". The Defence Post. 15 September 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-09-15. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
24. Gain, Nathan (2021-02-03). "French Naval Special Forces Order Additional PUMA UAVs from AeroVironment". Naval News. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
25. ^ Eshel, Tamir (2012-06-12). "Sweden, Denmark Opt for PUMA AE, Wasp Mini-UAVs". Defense Update:. Retrieved 2021-08-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
26. https://www.flugrevue.de/militaer/unbemanntes-fluggeraet-von-aerovironment-puma-ae-fuer-die-marine/
27. "Latvia to receive three unmanned aircraft systems with US support".
28. "Achter de schermen". Royal Marechaussee. 7 September 2020. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 5 November 2020 suggested (help)
29. "The Netherlands Ministry of Defence Awards AeroVironment Contract for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Upgrades Valued at $10.3 Million". Business Wire. 31 October 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
30. "Defence Force seeks more drones for fleet". RNZ. 2021-05-23. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
31. "AeroVironment awarded contract for drone data links for Norway". Space Daily. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
32. seeks to buy 4 drone "Kosovo security forces seeks to buy 4 drone in 2021". KOS. 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-05-29. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
33. AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. January 2020. p. 8.
34. "700X reach milestones in Puma flights and drone training". www.royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
35. "Navy's drone experts 700X NAS ready to deploy on warships". www.royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
36. Puma numbers Archived 2013-02-21 at the Wayback Machine - Strategypage.com, February 19, 2013
37. Archived 2013-06-25 at the Wayback Machine - NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries
38. "Puma AE data sheet" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2012-05-03.

External links

• Media related to AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma at Wikimedia Commons

• AeroVironment aircraft
• Electric aircraft
• High-wing aircraft
• Single-engined tractor aircraft
• 2000s United States military reconnaissance aircraft
• Unmanned military aircraft of the United States
• Aircraft first flown in 2007