AeroVironment received $86.4 million to produce RQ-20B Puma drones for the U.S. Army

The U.S. Army wants more drones from AeroVironment.

Here's What We Know

We are talking about the RQ-20B Puma drones. The U.S. Army has signed a contract with defense company AeroVironment for additional drones. The cost of the deal was $86.4 million.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, only one company took part in the online bidding process for long-range unmanned aerial systems. Work on the new contract will be carried out at the Californian company AeroVironment. The deadline is September 2023.

The RQ-20B Puma is a small unmanned aerial system for tactical reconnaissance, surveillance, reconnaissance and maritime patrol. The drone has a 2.8 meter wingspan. The UAV is equipped with an electro-optical/infrared camera and a geolocation sensor.

The Puma can reach speeds of up to 46.3 km/h (25 knots) and climb to an altitude of about 150 meters. The maximum flight time is about 180 minutes.

Source: Defense.gov