The US Marine Corps (USMC) has begun its first operational deployment of the Insitu RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned aircraft system (UAS), the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) announced on 7 May.
The deployment, which began at the end of April, saw Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron (VMU) 2, located at Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, North Carolina, relocate to an undisclosed location in Afghanistan. NAVAIR did not say how long the deployment might last.
Boeing subsidiary company Insitu is currently under contract to provide NAVAIR with two Blackjack systems (each system comprising five Blackjack aircraft [dubbed Integrator by the company], two ground control stations, a pneumatic catapult launcher and a SkyHook recovery system).The Blackjack's baseline payload comprises an electro-optic sensor, a mid-wave infrared imager, an infrared marker, and a laser rangefinder. According to figures released by Insitu, the UAS has a cruise speed of 55 kt, a service ceiling of 19,500 ft, and an endurance of 24 hours.
http://www.janes.com/article/37660/us-marines-begin-blackjack-uas-deployment-to-afghanistan
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