RQ-21 Blackjack

RQ-21 Blackjack
Lance Cpl. Rhita Daniel · Public domain · source
Name	Blackjack
Type	Unmanned aerial vehicle
Manufacturer	Insitu (The Boeing Company)
First flight	2012
Introduction	2014
Status	Active
Primary user	United States Navy

RQ-21 Blackjack is a small tactical unmanned aerial system designed for reconnaissance, surveillance, and targeting missions for maritime and littoral operations. Developed by Insitu and integrated by Boeing, it provides ship-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support for expeditionary forces and naval vessels. The program interfaces with platforms and organizations across the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, United States Special Operations Command, and allied services.

Development and Design

The Blackjack program began as an effort by Insitu and Boeing to fulfill requirements set by United States Navy programs such as the Navy’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Roadmap and the Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems (STUAS) competition, with procurement overseen by Program Executive Office Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons (PEO UASW), Naval Air Systems Command, and Marine Corps Systems Command. The design incorporates lessons from earlier Insitu platforms including the ScanEagle and Integrator, integrating avionics certified to standards used by Federal Aviation Administration processes and interoperable datalinks compatible with Link 16, Blue Force Tracker, and shipboard combat systems like Aegis Combat System and AN/SQQ-89. Development milestones involved flight testing at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, environmental trials at Point Mugu, and evaluation at Naval Base Coronado and Camp Pendleton alongside units such as VMM-163, VMAQ-1, and elements of Special Operations Forces.

Technical Specifications

The Blackjack airframe uses a twin-boom, pusher-prop configuration with a modular payload bay derived from Insitu designs used by ScanEagle. Propulsion is provided by a gasoline engine similar to those used in small unmanned platforms fielded by USMC and USN units, with endurance rated for multiple hours to support missions alongside assets like the MQ-8 Fire Scout, MQ-9 Reaper, and manned platforms such as the P-8 Poseidon and F/A-18 Hornet. Sensor packages include electro-optical/infrared turrets comparable to those used on AN/AAS-38 Nite Hawk and synthetic aperture radar suites akin to sensors flown on RQ-4 Global Hawk derivatives, enabling maritime surveillance, over-the-horizon targeting, and route reconnaissance. Communications and command-and-control are achieved through line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight datalinks interoperable with systems from Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, and L3Harris Technologies. Launch and recovery use a pneumatic catapult and Skyhook recovery similar to methods employed by ScanEagle and other small UAS operated from ships like USS Wasp (LHD-1), USS America (LHA-6), and Littoral Combat Ship variants.

Operational History

Operational deployments began with evaluation deployments aboard amphibious assault ships and littoral ships, supporting units such as II Marine Expeditionary Force, I Marine Expeditionary Force, and Special Operations Command Pacific. The system was used in missions coordinated with task groups led by Carrier Strike Group 1, ESG (Expeditionary Strike Group), and Combined Task Force 151-style counter-piracy operations, contributing to maritime domain awareness alongside platforms like P-3 Orion and EP-3E Aries II. Training and tactical integration occurred at facilities including Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two (VX-2), Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 (VMU-1), and Naval Air Warfare Center. International interest and joint exercises involved partners such as Royal Australian Navy, Royal Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and NATO allies during exercises like RIMPAC and Talisman Sabre.

Variants and Modifications

Modifications to the baseline included maritime optimized payload suites, signals intelligence packages similar to systems fielded by AN/ALQ programs, and extended-endurance fuel systems paralleling upgrades seen on MQ-9 family derivatives. Integration efforts produced a ground control station variant built by Boeing with software stacks from Raytheon and General Dynamics for compatibility with command nodes used by United States Africa Command, United States Central Command, and United States Indo-Pacific Command. Specialized variants were trialed for electronic warfare support during exercises with units like VAQ-140 and for persistent overwatch in amphibious operations with III Marine Expeditionary Force.

Operators

Primary operators included components of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps, with units such as VMU-1, VMU-2, and expeditionary detachments assigned to MEU rotations aboard amphibious ships like USS Bataan (LHD-5). Other governmental operators included United States Special Operations Command task elements and limited use by United States Customs and Border Protection in evaluation contexts. Foreign interest led to cooperative operations and demonstrations with maritime services from Australia, United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, and NATO member navies during multinational exercises.

Incidents and Losses

Incidents and losses involved at-sea mishaps during launch or recovery aboard amphibs and littoral ships, ground handling accidents at bases such as Naval Air Station Patuxent River and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, and attrition from operational wear during deployments to austere environments including Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa patrol areas. Investigations by organizations like Naval Safety Center and programmatic reviews by Congressional Research Service and Government Accountability Office informed reliability improvements and maintenance protocols, mirroring corrective measures applied across other UAS programs like MQ-1 Predator and ScanEagle.

Category:Unmanned aerial vehicles of the United States