The 9+ hour duration of the Puma flight using Protonex fuel cell power far surpasses the longest previous Puma flight achieved by AeroVironment using any technology. By incorporating the Protonex power system, the Puma was able to demonstrate three to four times the endurance capability of its standard batteries. The Pulse UAV system used in the Puma demonstration is a high performance, ultralight fuel cell system, coupling fuel cell technology that can achieve 1,000 watts per kilogram with an advanced chemical hydride fueling technology developed by Millennium Cell, Inc. (NASDAQ: MCEL) to increase energy density.

With the successful completion of this major milestone, Protonex is planning to focus on transitioning this advanced power source into small UAV products with specific payloads and mission requirements for both military and commercial applications. The endurance capabilities proven in this program were previously achievable only with larger scale, more costly UAV platforms. Now, it's expected that new missions such as surveillance, search and rescue, chemical-biological monitoring, and other long-endurance specialty missions can be achieved by smaller, more cost-effective UAV platforms that incorporate Protonex' advanced power systems.

"Increased endurance and payload capacity are critical capabilities that are not feasible with current battery technology being used in small unmanned aerial vehicles today," stated Dr. Paul Osenar, Chief Technology Officer, Protonex. "The final, successful extended duration capability demonstrated through this program with AFRL and AeroVironment yields significant opportunity for Protonex to enable new missions with small UAVs that are faster to deploy at considerably less cost for a wide range of military and commercial applications."