AeroVironment adds GNSS-denied navigation to Puma LE drone
AeroVironment has integrated its visual navigation system kit into the Puma LE, giving the small unmanned aircraft a way to navigate when GPS and other GNSS signals are unreliable or unavailable.
The move extends the company’s assured navigation capability across the full Puma family, after the kit debuted in 2022 on the Puma 2 AE and Puma 3 AE. The system uses downward-facing cameras, sensors and onboard processing to perform visual inertial odometry, matching terrain imagery with motion data to estimate the aircraft’s position, velocity and orientation in real time. That allows the aircraft to keep flying accurate routes, maintain geolocation and sustain the mission in degraded or denied satellite-navigation environments. AeroVironment said the system blends visual and inertial inputs continuously, reducing dependence on a resource that has become increasingly vulnerable in contested operations.
A key feature is automatic transition between GNSS-enabled and GNSS-denied modes, with no pilot action required. That matters in missions where any interruption in navigation can disrupt surveillance, reconnaissance or targeting. The company said the VNS kit is offered as an add-on for new Puma 3 AE and Puma LE orders, and as a retrofit for fielded Puma 2 AE, Puma 3 AE and Puma LE systems. The compact two-piece package is designed to fit existing aircraft with minimal effect on performance, while still fitting inside standard Puma transit cases for deployment and packout.
The upgrade follows other recent changes to the Puma LE platform, including the addition of a laser target designator and the release of a universal gimbal kit. AeroVironment has been positioning Puma LE as more than an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance asset, expanding its role toward precision engagement and more flexible mission sets. In its standard configuration, the Puma LE weighs 23.8 pounds, offers 6.5 hours of endurance and a range of 60 kilometers, is inaudible at 500 feet and supports tool-free payload swaps. Adding assured navigation strengthens the platform’s value where satellite signals may be jammed, spoofed or denied, and raises the operational resilience of small tactical drones in modern missions.