RQ-7 Shadow Can’t Fly in Afghanistan Summer Heat

The Marine Corps’ largest unmanned aircraft can’t handle the intense summer heat in Afghanistan, forcing units to rely instead on smaller drones for most daytime missions, according to an internal review of air operations in the war zone.

Published in October by the Marine Corps Center for Lessons Learned, the findings raise significant questions about the service’s plan to weaponize its fleet of RQ-7 Shadows — although the report does not address that specifically.

Marine field commanders have expressed an urgent need for drones that can strike time-sensitive targets, including insurgent teams caught burying roadside bombs. But if Shadows can’t fly on hot summer days, Marines will continue to depend on joint air assets and compete with other coalition units for this type of air support.

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