Ukraine is purchasing 11 PUMA-LE unmanned systems for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The purchase would take place through the Army of Drones project.

Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, announced this.

Outside of the PUMA-LE drones, the Ukrainian military will also receive LRTA antennas for them, sustaining a longer range of controlled flight. The total value of the transaction is UAH 541.67 million.

“These drones are equipped with a conventional and thermal imaging camera with 6x zoom. This allows identifying the enemy during day, night, and under any weather conditions,” Fedorov wrote on Telegram.

The Minister noted that due to the Long-Range Tracking Antenna (LRTA), drones would be able to cover a distance of up to 60 km.

“Such a distance will help our defenders sneak into the rear of the enemy,” Mykhailo Fedorov emphasized.

He also added that these drones’ flight duration is about 6 hours, and the flight altitude is up to 3 kilometers. This makes them “invisible to the invaders.”

PUMA-LE was created by AeroVironment. It has a wingspan of 4.6 m and a total length of 2.2 m, together with the installed changeable Mantis i45 optical-electronic system. UAV`s take-off weight is 10.7 kg. It can operate in-flight for 6.5 hours using an additional Puma Smart 2500 battery. The drone can be equipped with a Long-Range Tracking Antenna, which would support flights at a distance of up to 60 kilometers.

The drone can be launched manually, from a catapult, or from the vehicle. The device can land anywhere, as it has the best-in-class capabilities for difficult operating conditions.

Due to the drone’s multifunctionality, operators can easily and quickly change its payload.

Unmanned Puma systems of various models are used by the military of Albania, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Great Britain.