The Armed Forces of Ukraine have in service American RQ-20 Puma light unmanned aerial vehicle. It is currently helping Ukrainian warriors destroy weapons and military equipment of russian occupation troops in one of the most difficult areas of the frontline.
The ArmyInform news agency talked to drone operators from the 148th Artillery Brigade of Ukrainian Airborne Assault Forces, who use this UAV to hunt for russian equipment.
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First of all, a serviceman notes the quality of the drone's camera: glass, guidance, stabilization, image clarity and zoom. "The priority of our 'bird' over others is the camera. It does not shake her, the UAV flies where the camera is looking. It is enough to find the target, capture it, and then, like a predatory eagle, it circles around, keeping the victim in sight," told Ukrainian soldier named Ivan.
He emphasizes that they had a direct connection with the developers of this drone, who create programs to their orders, and then their work can be tested directly on the battlefield.
Puma drone operator, Dmytro notes that they managed to master the drone quite quickly. While in the United States the training course lasts six months, with another six months of internship, the Ukrainian warriors completed it in a month.
Using the Puma drone, Ukrainians have already destroyed a number of different russian weapons even in the deep rear at a distance of more than 45 km. Ukrainian warriors destroyed such russian weapons as S-300 SAM system, TOS-1 Buratino heavy flamethrower system, as well as 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled howitzer, 2S5 Giatsint-Sself-propelled gun, D-30 howitzer, ammunition depots and personnel.
The AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma is an American unmanned aircraft system. Its primary mission is surveillance and intelligence gathering. It is produced by AeroVironment. It is in service with more than 20 countries around the world. The company has a number of different variants of this drone.
The drone's payload is the Mantis i45 electro-optical system. The company notes that operators have the option to switch to an additional i45N for nighttime operation.
Two versions of this reconnaissance drone are now available on the official AeroVironment website. The first is the Puma 3AE (basic range up to 20 km, can be increased to 60 km; endurance - 3 hours; weight - 7 kg; wingspan - 2.8 m, length - 1.4 m). The second is Puma LE (basic range up to 20 km, can be increased to 60 km; endurance - 5.5 hours, and 6.5 hours with optional Puma Smart 2500 Battery; maximum gross takeoff weight - 12.2 kg; wingspan - 4.6 m, length - 2.2 m).
Earlier Defense Express reported that the name of Ukraine's largest-reaching drone of 1,500 km had been revealed.
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