Surveillance UAS use and development is on the rise in the military and civilian sectors, and the Marine Corps in Hawaii said it is expected to get a dozen RQ-7B Shadows followed by 45 RQ-21A Integrators with the relocation of Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3 from California to Kaneohe Bay.
About 270 people would be relocated with the unmanned surveillance aircraft. A draft environmental assessment is expected in October and a final decision in 2014.
The Shadow has a 14-foot wingspan and 375-pound maximum takeoff weight, while the newer Integrator is 16 feet across and has a 135-pound maximum weight. Both are propeller-driven, and both can fly upward of 15,000 feet.
Source: Kansas City Star