Boeing ScanEagle UAV crosses 10,000 combat flight hours

ScanEagle supports US Marine and Navy operations

BY A CORRESPONDENT
March 2, 2006

ScanEagle, a long-endurance fully autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Boeing and The Insitu Group, has surpassed 10,000 combat flight hours in less than two years supporting US Marine Corps and US Navy operations.

Since being deployed with the First Marine Expeditionary Force in August 2004, ScanEagle has completed 8,900 combat flight hours in Iraq, providing real-time imagery to tactical commanders. Deployed with the U.S Navy since July 2005, ScanEagle has amassed 1,600 hours supporting Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) missions and conducting oil platform security in the Persian Gulf.

"Both the Marines and Navy rely heavily on ScanEagle due to its long-endurance capability and ability to provide critical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR)," said Peggy Holly, Boeing ScanEagle program manager. "Over the past 18 months flying demanding land- and ship-based missions, ScanEagle has proven that an affordable ISR system can acquire high-value targets and provide critical situational awareness to those who need it."

In Iraq, the four-foot-long UAV is being used as a forward observer to monitor enemy concentrations, vehicle and personnel movement, buildings and terrain. Boeing and Insitu have worked with the Marines on new operational concepts that have tripled ScanEagle's operating range.

On board the USS Cleveland, ScanEagle supported ESG activities in the Persian Gulf, and now will be deployed on a number of other Navy ships as well.

"The Navy has had great success using ScanEagle to identify and target suspicious ships," Holly said. "ScanEagle also has played a key role in protecting Iraq's oil platforms by sending real-time images of enemy combatants to coalition force ships."

For a vehicle of its size, ScanEagle's endurance and payload combination is unmatched. The ScanEagle system can provide more than 15 consecutive hours of "on-station" coverage. It also has demonstrated the ability to operate in harsh weather environments, including high winds and heavy rains -- conditions that can keep other UAVs on the ground.

ScanEagle carries either an electro-optical or an infrared camera. Both are inertially stabilized. The gimbaled camera allows the operator to easily track both stationary and moving targets. Capable of flying above 16,000 feet, the UAV normally provides persistent low-altitude reconnaissance.

Due to its unique launch and recovery systems, ScanEagle takeoffs and landings are unaffected by terrain and other conditions such as crosswinds. It is launched autonomously via a pneumatic wedge catapult launcher and flies pre-programmed or operator-initiated missions.

A "Skyhook" system is used for retrieval, with the UAV catching a rope hanging from a 50-foot high pole. The patented system makes ScanEagle runway-independent with a small footprint for launch and recovery operations.