more than 40 hours of flight at 5,000 meters

As tensions between Iran and Israel continue to escalate, the strategic and geopolitical interests of the United States are turning to the Pacific Ocean. Specifically, China and its intention to incorporate Taiwan as another territory of the Asian giant. For this reason, the US Department of Defense is considering transferring a very special aircraft to the region that Spain lacks. It is the The RQ-29 drone, which could well be a recreational aircraft or a harmless gliderbut it is actually a unique camouflaged spy platform.

A recently released document from Special Operations Command provides details on a possible deployment of the drone beyond U.S. territory. Specifically, one of the locations that stands out is the Indo-Pacific theater of operations, where the plane’s flight would take place. As stated in TWZThe mechanics would consist of deploying logistics personnel to the area while the control operation would be conducted from the United States.

“The Naval Space Operations Command (MARSOC) operates the RQ-29 Unmanned Aerial System […] For support intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations for the United States Space Operations Command,” according to the published document. It is therefore one of the most advanced and discreet platforms for ISR missions of all that this branch of the Ministry of Defense of the North American country has in its possession.

camouflaged drone

The RQ-29, known until now simply as the Long Endurance Aircraft (LEA), was introduced in intelligence operations in the Middle East in recent yearsShe has participated in confirmed deployments to Iraq, Syria and Yemen, where she conducted such low-profile and persistent missions in support of counterterrorism and other low-intensity operations.

In the event of a possible deployment in the Pacific theater, it is possible that this drone model could be used for military missions similar to those in the Middle East. For example, U.S. Special Operations Forces have already They worked in the Philippines in 2017 against the ISIS franchise in the country, where there was close collaboration between Manila and Washington DC.

This relationship has been maintained and strengthened over the past few months, to the point that China already views the Philippines as a threat due to the US maritime operation in its waters and the Pentagon is evaluating the reopening of a naval base in the west of the country. Beijing’s claims to the South China Sea – and by extension Taiwan – have also led to increased tensions in the region, which still persist.

One of the highlights came in early August 2022, when Nancy Pelosi landed in Taipei for a diplomatic visit, which Xi Jinping was not pleased with this.. Its top military commanders ordered hunting raids into the Formosa Strait.

The RQ-29 has been flying for the U.S. Department of Defense since 2016, provide “comprehensive, cost-effective and sustainable electronic and video surveillance” for beyond-line-of-sight ISR operations,” explains the manufacturer of the TSC platform.

It is a medium altitude, long duration platform (format known in English as MALE, for its acronym) which uses the structure of the ultralight Pipistrel Sinusa commercial aircraft with a high lift-to-drag ratio that allows very economical sustained flight.

The conversion into a drone “provides fully automated takeoff and landing operations using enhanced GPS navigation and command system with encrypted satellite communications for true global operational access,” TSC said. According to a statement, the RQ-29 can also “provide a rapid expeditionary ISR capability for deployment to austere locations with operations initiated in less than 24 hours.”

The LEA (Long Endurance Aircraft, as TSC calls the aircraft) system “uses many cutting-edge commercial and military technologies, while providing significant and proven reductions in maintenance and operating costs.” According to the most recent data, the drone has flew over 3,000 mission sorties and accumulated over 40,000 flight hours.

Long Range Espionage

“The drone’s high level of automation significantly reduces operator training requirements to less than 6 weeks and the small size of the operating team. significantly reduces operating costs compared to other platforms “Unmanned ISR”. The aircraft has a wingspan of 15 meters, a length of 7 meters and a height of 2 meters, and the format of the aerodynamic structure is exactly the same as that of the aforementioned model.

The difference is inside the device, removing all the accessory elements for the operation of the drone. The seats and all material from the cockpit replaced by radio-controlled systems and with a certain degree of autonomy when navigating.

It has a speed of drives at 185 km/h and flies at an altitude of 5,100 meters above sea level. The exact range is being kept secret, although TSC points out that the drone can stay in the air for 24 hours with all the spy gear on board and can exceed 40 hours when carrying less weight.

In May 2020, a unit of This drone model had an accident at Erbi International Airportl (Iraq) while he was on a spy mission. That’s when the Joint Special Operations Command had to confirm that they were flying these types of planes in the Middle East and that they would probably do the same in the Pacific from now on.