In 2010, Insitu, a subsidiary of Boeing, was awarded a Small
Tactical Unmanned Aerial System (STUAS) contract to begin RQ-21A Blackjack development.
This program of record for the US Navy and Marine Corps was the first organic and dedicated
multi-intelligence Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) for tactical commanders in the USMC and USN.
In January 2012, the USMC received a system from Insitu in Integrator
configuration to carry out early operational capability (EOC) for the STUAS program.
So, what are the RQ-21A Blackjack distinguishing features and capabilities?
The RQ-21A system is modular, adaptable, and multi-mission capable, with roll-on,
roll-off transitions between land and sea. This aerial system made its first flight in July 2012,
and the system’s land-based testing concluded in December 2012.
Later in February 2013, the RQ-21A Blackjack successfully completed its first ship-borne flight
from the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19). In May 2013,
the low-rate initial production was authorized, resulting in the US Marine Corps ordered 32
systems with five aircraft each, while the US Navy ordered 25 systems with five aircraft each.
The Royal Netherlands Army also ordered five systems, which were delivered in 2014.
Six Integrator systems were likely purchased by an unidentified Middle Eastern customer.
Blackjack is currently in full production and is in use by Navy and Marine Corps units.
The RQ-21A Blackjack system is a successor of Insitu’s ScanEagle
unmanned aircraft. It is a larger, heavier, and more capable version of the ScanEagle,
which has served with the Marine Corps and Navy in Iraq and Afghanistan for thousands of hours.
The Blackjack, unlike the ScanEagle, has a twin-boom configuration with a centralized
fuselage nacelle, straight wing assemblies, and a rear-mounted engine. The system has a length
of eight feet and a wingspan of 16 feet. The empty structure weight of the system is 75 to 81 pounds,
the maximum takeoff weight is 135 pounds, and the maximum payload capacity is 40 pounds.
For the payload to operate, the system requires 350W of onboard power.
Since the RQ-21A Blackjack is a modular and adaptable solution for both land and maritime
operations, it consists of six payload bays that can be customized with cameras, communication
capabilities, and a variety of other tools to provide exceptional situational awareness.
The sophisticated payload enables military units to respond quickly to emerging threats.
So now, let’s take a look at its payload equipment in detail.
The multi-intelligence aircraft system of RQ-21A Blackjack consists of five multi-mission
air vehicles, two ground control stations, as well as launch and recovery equipment.
The air vehicle’s open-architecture configuration is designed to seamlessly integrate multi-mission
payloads, including day/night full-motion video cameras, infrared marker, laser range finder,
communications relay package, Automatic Identification System receivers, and the addition
of other payloads as determined by requirements. Additional payloads, such as Synthetic Aperture
Radar/Ground Moving Target (SAR/GMTI) and signals intelligence, are also being integrated.
Air-to-ground communications systems from Integrator provide
direct payload communication up to 50 nautical miles from a ground control station.
To meet the expended mission requirements, the system includes electromagnetic shielding
to support customized communications relay and radio frequency sensor payloads. The Alticam
VisionTM imaging system, a stabilized turret that eliminates in-flight vibrations and automatically
tracks targets of interest, is housed in the nose bay of the RQ-21A in its baseline configuration.
On the other hand, a laser rangefinder and an infrared marker are included in the aircraft’s
baseline sensor package incorporated in the turret. The RQ-21A Blackjack’s turret also
houses an electro-optic imager for high-resolution daytime imagery, allowing operators to focus on
and maintain positive identity for objects of interest (1.1°-25° optical field of view
and 4x digital zoom); and a mid-wave infrared camera with quality thermal imaging
for nighttime and low-visibility operations (2°-25° field of view and 4x digital zoom).
Besides that, the Blackjack’s reconfigurable payload spaces are linked to a communications
relay package that includes the Ethernet (TCP/IP) protocol and a data encryption device.
The US Naval Surface Warfare Center awarded Z Microsystems a contract
in February 2013 to provide intelligent display series (IDS) for the Blackjack.
The IDS has flat-panel displays with real-time enhanced video capabilities.
In terms of mobility, the RQ-21A unmanned aircraft system
is powered by an 8 horsepower 100cc two-stroke heavy-fuel reciprocating engine.
The engine incorporates EFI and runs on JP-5 and JP-8 fuels,
making the aircraft can fly for more than 13 hours, with a maximum endurance of up to 16 hours.
It can operate at a maximum ceiling of over 5,944 meters
and a minimum operating range of 50 nautical miles. With an altitude of up to 20,000 feet,
the maximum horizontal speed and cruise speed are 90 knots and 60 knots, respectively.
For combat use, the RQ-21A Blackjack provides day and night Intelligence,
Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) coverage, target acquisition,
and communication relay through a dedicated and cost-effective airborne sensor system
capable of delivering actionable intelligence to the tactical commander in real time.
Moreover, the Blackjack’s expeditionary nature, which eliminates the need for a runway for launch
and recovery, allows it for deployment with a small footprint from both austere land-based
and shipboard environments and supporting tactical operations both on land and at sea.
Therefore, the RQ-21A Blackjack can perform a variety of missions, such as search and rescue,
disaster response, force protection, combined arms, target following, battle damage assessment,
pattern of life, border security, asset protection, networked operations, anti-piracy,
and so on. Its roll-on, roll-off capability also aids in ship-to-objective maneuvers.
That’s all for today. If
you find this video interesting or have any thought about the RQ-21A Blackjack system,
let us know in the comment section below. Thank you for watching and see you in the next episode.