Canadian Warplanes 8: AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma Maritime Miniature Unmanned Aircraft Systems (MMUAS)

AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma Maritime Miniature Unmanned Aircraft Systems (MMUAS)

(USMC Photo)

The AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma is an American unmanned aircraft system which is small, battery powered, and hand-launched. Its primary mission is surveillance and intelligence gathering using an electro-optical and infrared camera. It is produced by AeroVironment.

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd (MDA), signed a contract worth around $8 million to provide the Royal Canadian Navy with a Maritime Miniature Unmanned Aircraft Systems (MMUAS). This contract also includes services to support training, resource and equipment development activities and development and validation of naval tactics and new capability development. MDA’s solution is based on the “Puma AE” (All Environment) unmanned aircraft built byAeroViroment. The Puma has the ability to carry additional payloads as required for specific missions. The MMUAS is the first UAS project that will see the RCN operate and maintain its own capability and provide a sustainable shipborne, near real-time, Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) ISR capability for the RCN’s Kingston-class naval reserve vessels. (Kestrel Publications)

(RCN Photo)