Monrovia Co. Gets $65M Spy Drone Contract

The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has agreed to purchase $65 million worth of Puma spy drones from local technology firm .

The hand-launched Puma, a larger and more durable unmanned aircraft than the company's , is equipped with a video camera and is designed to be flown over both land and ocean. It's capable of withstanding "foul weather and [flying] over rugged terrain," according to an Aerovironment news release.

"Puma systems have demonstrated their effectiveness and are receiving high marks from customers for their image quality and overall capabilities," said Tom Herring, AeroVironment's senior vice president and general manager of its Unmanned Aircraft Systems business segment, in a written statement. "Like Raven and Wasp, Puma is helping to expand the role of small unmanned aircraft systems, and in the process is protecting our forces and helping them do their jobs more effectively."

The battery-powered Puma weighs 13 pounds and has a battery life of two hours. Each Puma system comprises three aircraft and two ground control devices, according to the company.

The Economist magazine featured Aerovironment's Raven drone in a Monday story in the future.