U.S. Marines recently showcased the RQ-20B Puma Small Unmanned Aircraft System (SUAS) to our Kiwi counterparts.
Based out of the Waiouru Military Camp in New Zealand, the showcase was part of Joint Assault Signals Company Black.
“The SUAS provides surveillance, target location, and reconnaissance for ground units and is being employed by the Royal New Zealand Army for exercise Sari Bair,” according to a statement from the Marines. “The Marines are with 1st Brigade, 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group.”
Watch the video above to see the RQ-20B Puma in action.
More on the RQ-20B Puma
Developed by American technology manufacturer AeroVironment, the RQ-20B Puma is capable of both ground and water landings.
Here’s what AeroVironment had to say about its SUAS:
“Equipped with both an electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) camera and illuminator, Puma AE keeps the operator’s ‘eyes on target.’ While the precision navigation system with secondary GPS insures positional accuracy up to its 20 km range. An optional under wing transit bay easily integrates third party payloads such as communication relay, geo-location, or laser marker to meet the diverse needs of military or civilian applications.
“Operated from AeroVironment’s battle-proven ground control station (GCS)–the same that drives our Raven and Wasp UAS platforms–the GCS allows the operator to control the aircraft manually or program it for GPS-based autonomous navigation. Puma AE can deliver 3.5-plus hours of flight endurance while versatile smart battery options support diverse mission requirements. A provided plug and play power adapter also makes for easy integration of extended endurance options such as solar wings.”
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