DEPLOYDatabase

Robot model

AeroVironment Puma

aerialproductionby AeroVironment

Hand-launched small unmanned aircraft system (Puma AE / Puma 3 AE / Puma LE) for ISR, long-fielded with the US military and allies.

Track AeroVironment Puma
Manufacturer
AeroVironment
Form factor
aerial
Maturity
production
Lifecycle
active
Deployments
1

The verified answer

As of Aug 2026, DEPLOY verifies AeroVironment Puma, a aerial by AeroVironment (production): 1 verified deployment on record. 3 sources back the record.

Appears inMilitary & defense drones

Overview

Hand-launched small unmanned aircraft system (Puma AE / Puma 3 AE / Puma LE) for ISR, long-fielded with the US military and allies. A named retrofit target for the AVACORE autonomy architecture and ARK edge-compute kit.

Verified vs. claimed

Maturity stage
production(Full-scale production deployment with repeat customers.)
Sources on file
View all sources →

Key facts

Form factor

aerial

Autonomy level

AVACORE/ARK retrofit target

Variants

Puma AE, Puma 3 AE, Puma LE

Type

small UAS (hand-launched)

Specs

Type

small UAS (hand-launched)

Autonomy

AVACORE/ARK retrofit target

Range km

20

Variants

Puma AE, Puma 3 AE, Puma LE

Weight kg

7

Flight time

3 h

Data & sources

Press releases

2

Web sources

1

3 sources backing this record.View all →

Accountability: AeroVironment has a Claim Integrity of 67% (2 of 3 public claims verified). See the industry ledger.

Pricing

No verified price is on record for AeroVironment Puma. Physical-AI systems are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price.

How DEPLOY tracks pricing

Deployments (1)

Free to use on your site, with a link back to DEPLOY.

Recent activity

Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.

Full change history →

Deployment-verified media (1)

PRIMARY SOURCE
Courtesy of AeroVironment

AeroVironment's film for the Puma LE hand-launched ISR UAS. A remotely-piloted reconnaissance aircraft, not autonomous; 'LE' denotes the long-endurance variant.

From deployment: Monrovia

Runs on (1)

Safety record

No incidents on record for AeroVironment Puma.

Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.

Sources (3)

  1. https://www.avinc.com/resources/press-releases/view/aerovironment-awarded-8.5-million-puma-ae-unmanned-aircraft-systems-foreign-military-sales-contract-for-u.s-ally
  2. https://thedefensepost.com/2022/07/26/aerovironment-us-army-puma-drone/
  3. https://www.avinc.com/solution/puma-3-ae/

Common questions

What is AeroVironment Puma?
Hand-launched small unmanned aircraft system (Puma AE / Puma 3 AE / Puma LE) for ISR, long-fielded with the US military and allies. A named retrofit target for the AVACORE autonomy architecture and ARK edge-compute kit.
How much does AeroVironment Puma cost?
AeroVironment Puma's price is not publicly disclosed. DEPLOY has no verified price on record for AeroVironment Puma from AeroVironment. Physical-AI systems like this are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price; check the manufacturer for the latest.
Is AeroVironment Puma actually deployed in the real world?
Yes. AeroVironment Puma is independently verified in real-world operation on the DEPLOY registry, confirmed at named deployment sites with primary sources: not a concept, render, or demo-only.
What are the specs of AeroVironment Puma?
AeroVironment Puma's recorded specifications on the DEPLOY registry: Range: 20 km; Weight: 7 kg; Flight time: 3 h. See the Specs section for the full sourced set.
Who makes AeroVironment Puma?
AeroVironment Puma is made by AeroVironment, based in Arlington, Virginia, USA, founded in 1971.
Where is AeroVironment Puma deployed?
1 verified deployment of AeroVironment Puma is on the DEPLOY registry, including at Monrovia.
Can you buy AeroVironment Puma?
AeroVironment Puma is in commercial deployment and is sold to operators; contact the manufacturer to buy, and see the pricing section for any recorded price.
What AI powers AeroVironment Puma?
AeroVironment Puma runs AeroVironment AVACORE. Each brain assignment is verified at the registry level via primary sources.
What are alternatives to AeroVironment Puma?
On the DEPLOY registry, comparable aerial robots to AeroVironment Puma include Wing Delivery Aircraft, Skydio X10, Zipline Platform 2 (P2), Prime Air MK30.
How does AeroVironment Puma compare to Wing Delivery Aircraft?
AeroVironment Puma and Wing Delivery Aircraft (Wing · 35 deployments) are both aerial robots on the DEPLOY registry. AeroVironment Puma has 1 verified deployment on record. Compare both records for specs, safety, deployments, and verified-vs-claimed autonomy.
Is AeroVironment Puma a top aerial?
On DEPLOY's intelligence score, which blends verified deployments, safety, adoption, media, and IP signals, AeroVironment Puma ranks in roughly the top 33% of aerial models tracked by the registry.
What is AeroVironment Puma's maturity stage?
AeroVironment Puma is at the production stage on the DEPLOY maturity ladder (research, prototype, pilot, commercial, production). Production stage means high-volume manufacture and commercial-scale deployments are sustained.
Is AeroVironment Puma safe?
AeroVironment Puma has no incidents on record in the DEPLOY registry. This does not constitute a safety guarantee; it reflects the incidents DEPLOY has tracked and verified to date.
What is the AeroVironment Puma drone?
The AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma is a small, battery-powered, hand-launched unmanned aircraft system. Its primary mission is surveillance and reconnaissance. Operators can launch it by hand, bungee, or rail without needing runways, and recover it through belly landing. The Puma 3 AE is the latest variant.
AeroVironment: Puma 3 AE Wikipedia: RQ-20 Puma
Methodology: Verified · 3 sources (2 primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-15

Verification posture

Verified

High confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-07-15

Maturity + lifecycle

Maturity stage: production

Lifecycle: active

Architectural position

Cohort: aerial

Sources by quality tier

2
primary-company-ir
Company IR disclosure
1
unclassified
Unclassified source

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for AeroVironment Puma.

Recent coverage

AeroVironment Puma in third-party press

Army Awards AeroVironment 500M Counter-Drone Contract

Jul 2, 2026

Pentagon awards 500M contract for counter-drone tech to AeroVironment

Jul 2, 2026

New Pentagon unmanned czar will oversee most drone programs

Jul 1, 2026