RQ-21A Blackjack

The RQ-21A Blackjack is a tactical reconnaissance and surveillance UAV designed to extend the field of view of small military units. Built by Insitu, it does not depend on a conventional runway. A pneumatic launcher sends the aircraft into the air, while the SkyHook recovery system brings it back to the ground by catching the aircraft on a suspended cable. This arrangement allows the Blackjack to operate with both land forces and shipborne expeditionary units.

According to the Plarok dataset, the RQ-21A has a maximum speed of 90 knots, a cruise speed of 60 knots and an endurance of up to 16 hours. Its 20,000-foot service ceiling and 17.7-kilogram payload capacity make it suitable for persistent tactical surveillance. Its compact size and expeditionary launch-and-recovery equipment allow the system to support missions from locations where a normal runway is unavailable.

The Blackjack uses an open payload architecture that can accommodate electro-optical and MWIR cameras, a laser rangefinder, an infrared marker, AIS and communications relay equipment. This makes it more than a simple observation aircraft. Depending on its configuration, it can support target detection, classification and tracking, signals intelligence, electronic warfare integration and the transfer of information between dispersed units.