August
7, 2008: The U.S. Marine Corps is forming a third UAV squadron
(VMU-3), equipped with RQ-7B Shadow 200 aircraft. This UAV is most
widely used by the U.S. Army, where each Shadow 200 UAV platoon has
22 troops and operates 3-4 UAVs, plus the ground control equipment.
Typically, each combat brigade has one Shadow UAV platoon. Each
marine UAV squadron has 8-12 Shadow 200s, and some smaller (40 pound)
ScanEagle UAVs. The marines plan to form another UAV squadron in
three years, at which time they expect to have a new UAV in service.
The marines only recently replaced their two decade old Pioneer UAVs
with the Shadow 200.
Each
350 pound Shadow 200 UAV costs $500,000, and can stay in the air 5.5
hours per sortie. A day camera and night vision camera is carried on
each aircraft. Able to fly as high as 15,000 feet (or more), the
Shadow can thus go into hostile territory and stay high enough (over
10,000 feet) to be safe from hostile rifle and machine-gun fire. The
Shadow UAVs can carry 56 pounds of equipment., is eleven feet long
and has a wingspan of 12.75 feet. The Shadow has a range of about 50
kilometers. The army has had great success with the Shadow 200, which
is what caught the attention of the marines.
