The American company AeroVironment, whose unmanned aerial vehicles are actively used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the battlefield against the russian invaders, announced at the end of September this year that their Puma LE reconnaissance unmanned aerial system received two new updates.
This is reported in a press release on the company's official website.
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First enhancement is a Universal Gimbal Kit enabling rapid, field-swappable payload configurations of Puma LE drones in combat conditions.
AeroVironment emphasizes that the new Universal Gimbal Kit enhances operational flexibility by allowing operators to rapidly integrate a variety of gimballed payloads. According to Jason Hendrix, vice president and general manager of Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems at AeroVironment, the kit "ensures Puma LE remains mission-relevant by enabling payload reconfiguration in minutes, empowering forces to deploy the right sensor for any tactical need."
The second and most interesting enhancement is integration of a new laser target designator into the UAV wich, according to the company’s statement, "transforms the Puma LE into a cutting-edge precision targeting platform." The company emphasizes that this provides a "significant tactical advantage".
They in the company are talking about the integration of Trillium Engineering's HD59 Laser Target Designator. The system integrates a 50mj STANAG 3733-compliant laser designator, an EO camera, mid-wave infrared (MWIR) sensor, long-wave infrared (LWIR) sensor, and short-wave infrared (SWIR) sensor with See Spot, allowing for long range identification and prosecution of targets during day and night. That is about wide capabilities for identifying and targeting targets both day and night.
" These features give small units the ability to independently identify and designate targets, dramatically accelerating find-fix-finish timelines and enhancing mission autonomy," AeroVironment stated.
Previously, Defense Express reported that AeroVironment announced another update for its Puma UAVs.
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