RQ-21 Blackjack Can Now Strike With Miniature Precision Munitions
Being able to employ precision-guided munitions provides an entirely new business case for what has been a reconnaissance drone.
BY
OLIVER PARKEN
|
PUBLISHED DEC 14, 2023 6:10 PM EST
The Boeing Insitu Integrator drone, also known as the RQ-21 Blackjack within the U.S. military, recently demonstrated its ability to drop a pair of small, precision-guided Shryke munitions. The demonstration comes as part of a larger effort to give the relatively small Integrator drone kinetic capabilities, which has taken important strides in recent months.
Insitu announced the successful demonstration, and released video footage of an Intergrator with the registratopm N76NT performing said tests, on December 12. Where and when it took place exactly remains unclear.
The test itself involved dropping two inert GPS-guided Shryke munitions from Integrator, which were trained on specific targets on the ground. The demonstration was conducted in collaboration with Corvid and L3Harris Technologies.
"The two rounds of munitions were seamlessly fitted into Integrator’s CG [centre-of-gravity] payload bay and several mission sorties were executed demonstrating advanced navigation, targeting, and payload delivery systems," Insitu’s Vice President of Programs, Engineering & Flight Justin Pearce said.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/rq-21-blackjack-can-now-strike-with-miniature-precision-munitions
