AeroVironment Inc. announced Monday it was taking orders for the updated version of its Puma small unmanned aircraft system used by the military. The new Puma 3 drone from the Monrovia-based manufacturer had improvements made to its airframe allow the sensor suite to perform in harsh and demanding environments and a digital data link with security upgrades to support use of the aircraft in environments with radio frequency interruption. AeroVironment designs, manufactures and tests its drones in Simi Valley. David Sharpin, vice president of AeroVironment’s Tactical UAS business, said the new version of Puma was based on communication with its customers. “As a result of their feedback, the new Puma 3 includes air vehicle upgrades for operation in even more rugged environments than before, improved ability to support advanced third-party payloads and software applications and reliability in challenging electronic warfare/cyber environments where interference is prevalent,” Sharpin said in a statement. Shares in AeroVironment (AVAV) closed up $1.54, or more than 3 percent, to $46.59 on the Nasdaq on Monday, a day when the overall Nasdaq increased more than 3 percent.