AAI RQ-7 Shadow

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AAI_RQ-7_Shadow

The AAI RQ-7 Shadow is an American unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used by the
United States Army, Marine Corps, Australian Army and Swedish Army for
reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition and battle damage assessment.
Launched from a trailer-mounted pneumatic catapult, it is recovered with the aid
of arresting gear similar to jets on an aircraft carrier. Its gimbal-mounted,
digitally stabilized, liquid nitrogen-cooled electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR)
camera relays video in real time via a C-band line-of-sight data link to the
ground control station (GCS).

The US Army's 2nd Battalion, 13th Aviation Regiment at Fort Huachuca, Arizona,
trains soldiers, marines, and civilians in the operation and maintenance of the
Shadow UAV. The Shadow is operated in the U.S. Army at brigade-level.

The RQ-7 Shadow is the result of a continued US Army search for an effective
battlefield UAV after the cancellation of the Alliant RQ-6 Outrider aircraft.
AAI Corporation followed up their RQ-2 Pioneer with the Shadow 200, a similar,
more refined UAV. In late 1999, the army selected the Shadow 200 to fill the
tactical UAV requirement, redesignating it the RQ-7. Army requirements specified
a UAV that used a gasoline engine, could carry an electro-optic/infrared imaging
sensor turret, and had a minimum range of 31 miles (50 kilometers) with
four-hour, on-station endurance. The Shadow 200 offered at least twice that
range, powered by a 38 hp (28 kW) rotary engine. The specifications also
dictated that UAV would be able to land in an athletic field.

The aircraft is part of a larger system which currently uses the M1152-series of
Humvees for ground transport of all ground and air equipment. A Shadow 200
system consists of four aircraft, three of which are transported in the Air
Vehicle Transporter (AVT). The fourth is transported in a specially designed
storage container to be used as a spare. The AVT also tows the launcher. The AVT
Support Vehicle and trailer contain extra equipment to launch and recover the
aircraft, such as the Tactical Automatic Landing System. Maintenance equipment
for the aircraft is stored in the Maintenance Section Multifunctional (MSM)
vehicle and trailer as well as the M1165 MSM Support Vehicle and its associated
trailer.

A fielded Shadow 200 system requires 22 soldiers to operate it. Army modelling
indicates that crew workload is highest at takeoff, and second-highest at
landing.


Role
Tactical reconnaissance UAV for ground maneuver forces

Manufacturer
AAI Corporation

First flight
1991

Introduction
2002

Status
Active, in production

Primary users
United States Army
9 other users

Number built
500+

Unit cost

Per system: US$15.5 million (2011 dollars
Per aircraft: US$750,000.00 (2011 dollars)


Developed from
AAI RQ-2 Pioneer

By July 2007, the Shadow platform accumulated 200,000 flight hours, doubling its
previous record of 100,000 hours in 13 months. The system then surpassed 300,000
flight hours in April 2008, and by May 2010, the Shadow system had accumulated
over 500,000 flight hours. As of 2011, the Shadow had logged over 709,000 hours.
The Shadow platform has flown over 37,000 sorties in support of operations in
Iraq and Afghanistan by US Army and Army National Guard units. On 6 August 2012,
AAI announced that the Shadow had achieved 750,000 flight hours during more than
173,000 missions. More than 900,000 flight hours had been logged by Shadow UAVs
by the end of June 2014.

The U.S. Army is implementing a plan to reform its aerial scout capabilities by
scrapping its fleet of OH-58 Kiowa helicopters from 2015–2019 and replacing them
with AH-64 Apache attack helicopters teamed with Shadow and MQ-1C Grey Eagle
UAVs. Using unmanned assets to scout ahead would put the pilots of manned
aircraft out of reach of potential harm. Reformed combat aviation brigades (CAB)
would consist of a battalion of 24 Apaches for attack missions and an armed
reconnaissance squadron of another 24 Apaches teamed with three Shadow platoons
totaling 12 RQ-7s overall; it would also include a Grey Eagle company. The
manned-unmanned teaming of Apaches and UAVs can meet 80 percent of aerial scout
requirements. On 16 March 2015, the 1st Battalion, 501st Aviation Regiment was
reflagged the 3rd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, making it the first of 10
Apache battalions to be converted to a heavy attack reconnaissance squadron by
eliminating the Kiowa scout helicopter and having three RQ-7 Shadow platoons
organically assigned; the attack battalions will also be aligned with an MQ-1C
Gray Eagle company assigned to each division. Moving Shadows from brigade combat
team level to the battalions themselves reduces lines of communication, distance
issues, and allows operators and pilots to better train and work together.

Specifications (200 Family)

General characteristics
Length: 11.2 ft (3.4 m)
Wingspan: 14 ft (4.3 m)
Height: 3.3 ft (1.0 m)
Empty weight: 186 lb (84 kg)
Gross weight: 375 lb (170 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Wankel UAV Engine 741 used only with Silkolene Synthetic Oil ,
38 hp (28 kW)

Performance
Maximum speed: 127 mph; 204 km/h (110 kn)
Cruise speed: 81 mph; 130 km/h (70 kn)
Range: 68 mi (59 nmi; 109 km)
Endurance: 6 h/ 9 h Increased Endurance
Service ceiling: 15,000 ft (4,600 m) ELOS (Electronic Line Of Sight)

Note: When outfitted with IE (Increased Endurance) Wings, the CRP
(Communications Relay Package) and the 1102 engine, endurance time is increased
to 9 hours, wing span is increased to approx. 22 feet (6.7 m), and the service
ceiling is 18,000 ft (only with authorization).





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