AAI RQ-7 Shadow

Background

The RQ-7 Shadow resulted from the U.S. Army's search for an effective battlefield UAS after the cancellation of the Alliant RQ-6 Outrider. AAI Corporation followed their RQ-2 Pioneer with the Shadow 200, a similar, more refined system.

In late 1999, the Army selected the Shadow 200 to fill the tactical UAS requirement, redesignating it the RQ-7. Army requirements specified a UAS that used an aviation gasoline engine, could carry an electro-optic/infrared imaging sensor turret, and had a maximum range of 31 miles (50 kilometers) with four-hour, on-station endurance; the Shadow 200 offered at least twice that range. The specifications also dictated that the UAS would be able to land in an athletic field.

The RQ-7 Shadow 200 is of a high-wing, constant chord pusher configuration with a twin-tailboom empennage and an inverted v-tail. It is powered by a 38 bhp AR741-1101 Wankel engine designed and manufactured by UAV Engines Ltd in the United Kingdom. The primary payload is the Israeli Aircraft Industries POP300 Plug-in Optical Payload, consisting of a forward-looking infrared camera, a daytime TV camera with a selectable near-infrared filter, and a laser pointer.

The aircraft has fixed tricycle landing gear. Takeoffs are assisted by a trailer-mounted pneumatic launcher. Landings are guided by a Tactical Automatic Landing System developed by the Sierra Nevada Corporation, using a ground-based micro-millimeter wavelength radar and a transponder on the aircraft; a tailhook catches an arresting wire connected to two disk brake drums.

The Shadow system includes four aircraft, three transported in an Air Vehicle Transporter (AVT) and one spare. The AVT also tows the launcher. Two Humvee-mounted Ground Control Stations (GCS) control the aircraft, each with an associated Ground Data Terminal (GDT).

A Portable Ground Control Station (PGCS) and Portable Ground Data Terminal (PGDT) serve as backups. A fielded system requires 22 soldiers to operate. The Shadow is restricted from operating in bad weather, not meant to fly through rain and with sensors that cannot see through clouds.

Combat Service and Operational Milestones

The Shadow proved its operational value under the punishing conditions of the Middle East. Although it missed the initial 2001–2002 Afghanistan campaign, it flew combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom, where extreme heat and sand caused engine failures that demanded urgent fixes through technology changes and revised operating procedures. By July 2007, the platform had accumulated 200,000 flight hours, doubling its prior record of 100,000 in just 13 months. The pace accelerated rapidly: 300,000 hours by April 2008, over 500,000 by May 2010, and 750,000 hours across more than 173,000 missions by August 2012.

By the end of June 2014, the fleet had logged over 900,000 flight hours. The Shadow supported more than 37,000 sorties in Iraq and Afghanistan, with over 600,000 of those being combat hours. The US Marine Corps began transitioning from the RQ-2 Pioneer to the Shadow in 2007, and VMU-1 became the first Marine squadron to see combat in Iraq that October.

System Architecture and Crew Demands

Operating a Shadow 200 system is a substantial logistical undertaking requiring 22 soldiers. The platform is transported and supported by M1152-series Humvees. A standard system includes four aircraft: three carried in an Air Vehicle Transporter that also tows the pneumatic launcher, and a fourth spare stored in a dedicated container.

The AVT Support Vehicle and trailer house additional launch and recovery equipment, including the Tactical Automatic Landing System. Maintenance is handled through the Maintenance Section Multifunctional vehicle and trailer, plus the M1165 MSM Support Vehicle. Two Humvee-mounted Ground Control Stations manage flight operations, each paired with a Ground Data Terminal that modulates commands into radio waves for the aircraft and receives video and telemetry in return.

A 10 kW Tactical Quiet Generator powers each GDT. Backup capabilities are provided by a Portable Ground Control Station and Portable Ground Data Terminal. Army modeling shows crew workload peaks at takeoff, followed by landing, and the system is restricted from operating in rain or through clouds.