The purchase order is valued at $30.9 million. AeroVironment said it will provide Germany with a comprehensive portfolio of advanced Puma AE All Environment and Puma LE Long Endurance capabilities in a single integrated package.
The company described the award as one of the most significant European Puma procurements to date. LARUS, or Luftgestützte Aufklärung mit Unbemannten Systemen, is focused on airborne reconnaissance using unmanned systems.
“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, AeroVironment will deliver advanced payloads, ground control technologies, communications and autonomy kits. The package is intended to support Germany’s small tactical UAS requirements for the LARUS program.
The order includes new equipment training and specialized payload training. Deliveries are required no later than late 2026.
The portfolio includes high-definition laser-designating electro-optical and infrared payloads, including HD59 LD kits for Puma LE. AeroVironment said these will provide laser target designation capability for precision engagements.
The package also includes Signal Intelligence payloads for both Puma 3 AE and Puma LE configurations. These payloads are intended to support advanced signals collection and sensing missions.
AeroVironment will also provide Puma VTOL systems for vertical takeoff and landing operations. The company said these systems enable flexible operations in constrained environments.
The award includes next-generation Tomahawk Kinesis-enabled ground control station configurations. These include controllers and ultralight and tactical ground control station variants to support mobile, dismounted and vehicle-based operations.
The package also includes Puma 3 AE and Puma LE Mobile Ad hoc Network communications relay kits. AeroVironment said these will provide extended, robust and resilient communications, including beyond-line-of-sight connectivity.
Autonomy Retrofit Kits will enable advanced autonomous capabilities and AeroVironment’s latest autonomy software to be installed across applicable Puma hardware. The support package also includes field repair kits, bungee launch systems, smart battery assemblies, mounting and retrofit kits and formal training.
“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, known as BAAINBw. AeroVironment said Germany has previously fielded Puma AE, but the new effort significantly expands capacity and capability across the extended Puma family.
The award adds the latest payloads, communications and autonomy enhancements to Germany’s Puma systems. AeroVironment said the order further underscores its expanding role and presence in Europe.
The company said it is working closely with the LQ NSPA Programme to support multiple allied nations. Its small UAS solutions are intended to be interoperable, NATO-compliant, rapidly deployable and reliably sustained across Europe.
“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.”
