Marine RQ-21 Blackjack Drones Are Flying Three Times More Than Expected In Iraq and Syria [1/5] - Insitu_RQ-21_Blackjack_(cropped).jpg (1/1)

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The U.S. Marine Corps has been using Boeing Insitu's RQ-21 Blackjack unmanned
aircraft so much in Iraq and Syria that it had to shift funds around earlier
this year to help pay for unexpected operational costs. It’s yet another example
of the insatiable appetite for aerial intelligence, surveillance, and
reconnaissance support across the U.S. military, as well as a desire within the
Marines to better integrate the drones into the service’s operations as
intelligence gathering and electronic warfare platforms, and more.

In February 2018, the Pentagon approved a U.S. Navy request to reallocate nearly
$18 million from other portions of the 2016 and 2017 fiscal year defense budgets
to support Marine Corps RQ-21 operations. This included pulling funding from the
U.S. Army’s Tactical Signals Intelligence Payload program, which has reportedly
run into trouble due to poor test performance, and line items that support
Marine RQ-7Bv2 Shadow unmanned aircraft operations. In addition, more than half
of the total money was already left over after lower-than-expected costs
associated with the Blackjack operations in previous years.

The request offers no additional detail about what the RQ-21s have been doing in
the Middle East in the fight against ISIS. However, for years now, the Marine
Corps has been actively supporting both Iraqi and Kurdish forces in Iraq and
local, predominantly Kurdish partners in Syria, as well as U.S. and other
coalition special operations forces advising those groups in both countries.

Specifications

General characteristics
Length: 8.2 ft (2.5 m)
Wingspan: 16 ft (4.9 m)
Empty weight: 81 lb (37 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 135 lb (61 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × EFI Piston Engine, 8 hp (6.0 kW)
Propellers: 2-bladed

Performance
Maximum speed: 86 mph (138 km/h; 75 kn)
Cruise speed: 63 mph (101 km/h; 55 kn)
Range: 58 mi; 93 km (50[20] nmi)
Endurance: 16 hours
Service ceiling: 19,500 ft (5,900 m)




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