NATO Support and Procurement Agency Contract Expands AV’s European Presence and Positions Germany to Field the Full Puma Capability Stack Through a Unified Program Framework
ARLINGTON, Va. — July 7, 20206 — AeroVironment, Inc. (“AV”) (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global defense technology leader, today announced that the German Bundeswehr, through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) under the UAS Partnership, has selected AV’s next-generation Puma™ family of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for the Luftgestützte Aufklärung mit Unbemannten Systemen (LARUS) airborne reconnaissance program.
The purchase order, valued at $30.9 million, provides Germany with a comprehensive portfolio of advanced Puma AE (All Environment) and Puma LE (Long Endurance) capabilities in a single, integrated package, marking one of the most significant European Puma procurements to date.
“Germany has been a long-standing Puma operator, and this award represents a decisive step into the fully modernized Puma family,” said Wahid Nawabi, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer at AV. “By acquiring the full spectrum of Puma capabilities at once, from advanced sensors and Signal Intelligence payloads to Vertical Take-off and Landing systems as well as autonomy kits, the Bundeswehr is effectively moving straight to a highly-integrated, multi-mission, all-domain reconnaissance solution built on a proven platform.”
Under the NSPA purchase order, AV will deliver a full suite of advanced payloads, ground control technologies, communications, and autonomy kits to support Germany’s small tactical UAS requirements for LARUS. The order includes new equipment training and specialized payload training, with deliveries required no later than late 2026.
The portfolio being delivered under this award incorporates nearly every major enhancement developed for the Puma family to date, including:
- High-definition, laser designating electro-optical/infrared payloads – HD59 LD kits for Puma LE, enabling true laser target designation capability for precision engagements.
- Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) payloads – for both Puma 3 AE and Puma LE configurations, supporting advanced signals collection and sensing missions.
- Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) kits – Puma VTOL systems enabling flexible operations in constrained environments.
- Next-generation ground control stations – Tomahawk Kinesis™-enabled Ground Control Station (GCS) configurations, including controllers and ultralight/tactical GCS variants to support mobile, dismounted, and vehicle-based operations.
- Mobile Ad hoc Network (MANET) communications relays –Puma 3 AE and Puma LE MANET relay kits to provide extended, robust, and resilient communications including beyond-line-of-sight connectivity.
- Autonomy Retrofit Kits (ARK) – Enabling advanced autonomous capabilities and AV’s latest autonomy software to be installed across the applicable Puma hardware.
- Comprehensive support package – Field repair kits, bungee launch systems, smart battery assemblies, mounting and retrofit kits, and formal training to ensure full operational readiness and sustainment.
“This is the first time a customer has taken essentially the entire Puma capability stack in a single program, which sends a strong signal to our global user community,” said Trace Stevenson, President of Autonomous Systems at AV. “It’s a powerful validation that our continuous investment in sensors, autonomy, communications, and ground control has transformed Puma from a legacy tactical UAS into a modern, networked reconnaissance node that can plug seamlessly into joint and allied operations.”
The LARUS program is managed by the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) and focuses on procuring and deploying small, tactical unmanned systems for airborne reconnaissance. Germany has previously fielded Puma AE, but this effort significantly expands both capacity and capability by layering in the latest payloads, communications and autonomy enhancements across the extended Puma family.
The award further underscores AV’s expanding role and presence in Europe. Working closely with the LQ NSPA Programme, AV is supporting multiple allied nations with interoperable, NATO-compliant small UAS solutions that can be deployed rapidly and sustained reliably across the continent.
“Europe is a critical growth market for AV, and our collaboration with NSPA and Germany on LARUS is a clear example of how we’re deepening our partnerships across the region,” said Chris Black, Senior Director of Business Development for AV Europe. “By delivering a fully modernized Puma fleet tailored for European missions and infrastructure, we’re not only supporting Germany’s operational needs, we’re also helping to strengthen allied interoperability and resilience across NATO’s eastern and central theaters.”
About AV
AeroVironment (“AV”) (NASDAQ: AVAV) is a defense technology leader delivering integrated capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. The Company develops and deploys autonomous systems, loitering munitions, counter-UAS technologies, space-based platforms, directed energy systems, and cyber and electronic warfare capabilities—built to meet the mission needs of today’s warfighter and tomorrow’s conflicts. At the core of these technologies lies AV_Halo™, a modular, mission-ready suite of AI-powered software tools that empowers warfighters and enables full-battlefield dominance: detect, decide, deliver. With a national manufacturing footprint and a deep innovation pipeline, AV delivers proven systems and future-defining capabilities at speed, scale, and operational relevance. For more information, visit www.avinc.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to, our ability to perform under existing contracts and obtain new ones; regulatory changes; competitor activities; market growth; product development challenges; and general economic conditions. For a more detailed discussion of these risks, please refer to AeroVironment’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events.
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