East Coast Marines will quickly have their very own MQ-9A Reaper drone coaching unit after just lately finishing a profitable flight of the platform at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Level, North Carolina.
The Marine Unmanned Aerial Automobile Coaching Squadron, or VMUT 2, Marine Plane Group 14, 2nd Marine Plane Wing carried out the unit’s first Reaper flight on Nov. 21, in response to a launch.
“This achievement is greater than a technical success — it represents a daring step ahead in the way forward for unmanned aerial methods throughout the Marine Corps,” mentioned Lt. Col. Jonathan Boersma, VMUT-2 commander.
The unit transitioned from an operational RQ-21A Blackjack drone squadron to the Corps’ Reaper Fleet Alternative Squadron in July 2023, in response to the discharge. The unit will now work to construct up a full squadron of Reaper drones, pilots, upkeep and assist workers.
Over the previous 5 years the Corps has gone from leasing a handful of Reaper drones to constructing a coaching faculty, standing up an operational squadron and implementing a sequence of upgrades to stretch the capabilities of the platform.
This system, generally known as the Prolonged Vary Marine Air-Floor Process Drive Unmanned Expeditionary Medium-Altitude, Excessive-Endurance plane, or MUX, was beforehand half of a bigger “do-it-all” drone idea the Marine Corps sought to make use of to quarterback all parts of the battle via sensors and communications hyperlinks.
The MUX program seeks to make use of a single drone to conduct, coordinate and relay reconnaissance, counter-reconnaissance, communications, electromagnetic assault and traditional strike missions.
However the authentic request for a brand new, purpose-built drone stalled in Congress, which pushed the Marines to make use of the legacy Reaper platform to check the brand new ideas.
Although the Reaper drone has been in service for many years, the Corps beforehand leased the platforms from Basic Atomics till the service acquired its first Reaper in 2021 at Unmanned Aerial Automobile Squadron 1, third Marine Plane Wing in Yuma, Arizona.
The Air Drive has operated the MQ-9 since 2007, and as of 2021 had greater than 300 of them in its stock. Earlier this 12 months, the Corps had 10 Reapers in its fleet, with one other 10 scheduled for supply in fiscal 12 months 2025.
The MQ-9 has a most takeoff weight of 10,500 kilos, and a payload capability of three,000 kilos. The drone can fly a most distance of two,250 nautical miles. Its most flight time is 27 hours, in response to Navy knowledge.
The Marines established the 7318 navy occupational specialty for MQ-9 pilots in 2020. Inside two years the service had skilled 38 drone pilots. In December 2023, the Corps introduced it had skilled 100 pilots for the MQ-9.
The MQ-9 is the Corps’ first Group 5 drone, which denotes a drone heavier than 1,320 kilos and one with an altitude functionality of 18,000 ft and above.
In 2022, because the service acquired its first Reapers and skilled pilots, then-Commandant Gen. David Berger introduced that the Corps would get up its first Reaper squadron in Hawaii and construct out six unmanned aerial squadrons.
In August 2023, Marine Unmanned Aerial Squadron-3 at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii turned the primary squadron to achieve preliminary operational functionality.
Todd South has written about crime, courts, authorities and the navy for a number of publications since 2004 and was named a 2014 Pulitzer finalist for a co-written venture on witness intimidation. Todd is a Marine veteran of the Iraq Struggle.
