Navy buys one Insitu RQ-21A Blackjack UAV in preparation for ramping-up production

Navy Officials are buying one new tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), intended as an organic and dedicated multi-intelligence UAV for U.S. Marine Corps and Navy tactical commanders, in preparation for ramping-up production of the front-line tactical unmanned aircraft.

Officials of the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md.,awarded an $8.8 million contract this week to Boeing Insitu Inc. in Bingen, Wash., for one low-rate-initial-production II RQ-21A Blackjack UAV, to include air vehicles, ground control stations, launch and recovery equipment, and air vehicle support equipment.

The Boeing Insitu RQ-21 is a twin-boom, single-engine, monoplane UAV for surveillance and reconnaissance. It an be launched and recovered on land or at sea without runways, using a pneumatic launcher and net-type recovery system.

Read more