RQ-20 Puma

A hand-launched small UAV with a longer range and heavier payload than the Raven, capable of water landings and used for both land and maritime reconnaissance by US and allied forces.

In service since 2008 · 20 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

km/h

km range

4,500

m ceiling

Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

US ITAR-controlled

Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.

Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale

Fielded & proven

Widely fielded · 20 operators

In service since 2008. Status: active.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 83 km/h

Bottom 6% of UAVs
Cruise speed Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.: 37 km/h

Bottom 1% of UAVs
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 20 km

Stronger than 13% of UAVs
Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.: 4,500 m

Stronger than 18% of UAVs
Endurance Time on station. Critical for UAVs and patrol platforms — higher means longer persistent coverage.: 2.5 h

Stronger than 32% of UAVs

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 1.4 m
Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span.: 2.8 m
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 6 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 0

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Electric motor, pusher propeller, hand-launched

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.: Electro-optical/infrared gimbaled camera payload
Datalink Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement.: LOS datalink

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 20

Top 8% of UAVs

Specifications compiled from public AeroVironment and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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