Puma drone fleet to be upgraded for Netherlands by AeroVironment
NewsMay 14, 2025
ARLINGTON, Virginia. AeroVironment signed a new agreement with the Dutch Ministry of Defence to modernize the Netherlands’ Puma 3 AE uncrewed aerial system (UAS) fleet and expand the country’s use of long-endurance systems, the company announced in a statement.
Under the contract, the Puma 3 AE platforms will receive enhancements aimed at improving survivability, communications, and autonomous operation in GPS-denied and contested environments. The company states that the upgrades will include support for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities to improve deployment flexibility at the squad and platoon levels.
The Netherlands will also add the Puma LE to its UAS portfolio, which provides longer endurance and range for tactical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, the company says, adding that the systems can be deployed by a single soldier or launched from ground vehicles such as the Fennek reconnaissance platform. Deliveries of the upgraded UAS are currently underway.
