The UAV Can Stay Airborne For More Than Half A Day, Is Almost
Completely Silent
Edinburgh is a small forward operating base in Afghanistan which
lies surrounded by mountains and conflict in the northern region of
Helmand province. The three infantry units operating within the
surrounding areas frequently engage with the enemy. These ground
forces often look to one common aviation support element operating
here, which plays a vital role in their safety and mission
accomplishment.
ScanEagle Night Launch
Seven Marines and 14 civilian contractors work around the clock
keeping eyes in the sky known as the X-200 ScanEagle, which
provides overwatch for ground forces. The ScanEagle is a highly
effective Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, which can stay airborne for more
than half a day and is almost completely silent.
"We are in a pretty hot spot out here, surrounded on almost all
sides by enemy forces," said Capt. Charles Higgins, the ScanEagle
mission commander for the Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2
Detachment, with 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward). "ScanEagle
provides the ground forces that we are supporting with that extra
platform, filling in all the holes and gaps and provides a
rapid-response eyes-on capability."
ScanEagle File Photo
The ScanEagle is not officially a Marine Corps asset; it is a
leased program from the Boeing Corporation and is operated by U.S.
civilian contractors. The contractors here, most of which are prior
U.S. military, operate and maintain the aircraft while the
intelligence Marines liaison with the infantry Marines on the
ground and provide them with pertinent information and real-time
intelligence.
The ScanEagle quickly wins the favor of the few Marines who
receive the opportunity to work with the aircraft. "I feel the
ScanEagle is built on the same fundamentals as the Marine Corps,
its capability makes it an invaluable asset to the Marine Corps
arsenal" said Cpl. Anthony Willis, an intelligence analyst with
VMU-2. "It is extremely expeditionary and requires very little
manpower, maintenance or resources. These Boeing operators out here
with ScanEagle are truly keeping these Marines alive, and without
them, we would be in a different place entirely."
The ScanEagle was originally designed to be launched and
recovered by fishing vessels in order to track fish while out at
sea. It is to no surprise that a UAV so amphibious and
expeditionary would eventually find employment by the Marines. Now,
the ScanEagle has been modified into two models, day and night,
both equipped with different cameras to better suit the needs of
troops on the ground. The aircraft is roughly 40 pounds and can
remain in the air for nine to 14 hours depending on fuel and
weather conditions.
The ScanEagle requires no runway or arresting gear to operate. A
pressure-controlled launcher is used to catapult the UAV into the
air while a more unique method is used to recover the aircraft. A
collapsible tower will extend 40 feet into the air with a cord
running from top to bottom. The ScanEagle will then fly directly
into the cord, clipping it with the far end of its wing. A small
hook attached to the wing will then snap onto the cord and catch
the aircraft, which ironically leaves the UAV dangling as a fish
would from a fishing line. The aircraft is then lowered, unhooked
and returned to the site for any necessary post-flight
maintenance.
ScanEagle File Photo
With the ability to operate in such a small space with less than
a few dozen personnel, the Marines leased the ScanEagle to operate
where the traditional Marine Corps UAV, the RQ-7B Shadow, could
not. One contractor operating the ScanEagle here, who requested to
remain anonymous, stated that in the past he had personally
contributed to the development of a ScanEagle site, which was
completed and operational within 24 hours.
Having the ability to erect ScanEagle sites in hostile and
remote locations such as FOB Edinburgh has immensely contributed to
supporting International Security Assistance Forces operations
within the region. "We've gotten a lot of good feedback from the
units we are supporting out here," said Higgins. "It's a great
capability to have out here, and it has put us in high demand."
Though the future of ScanEagle and the Marine Corps is still
uncertain, one fact still remains - The team of Marines and
civilian operators have contributed to numerous successful missions
and saved countless lives here. "We have a great crew out here, and
I couldn't have hand picked a better one," said Higgins. "I'm
really excited about finishing up the deployment with these guys
and where we are going with the future of ScanEagle."