RQ-21A Blackjack Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (STUAS): Initial Operational Test and Evaluation Report

Abstract

This document reports on the evaluation of test adequacy, operational effectiveness, and operational suitability of the RQ-21A Blackjack Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (STUAS) during Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E). The Navy s Commander, Operational Test and Evaluation Force (COMOPTEVFOR), with assistance from the Marine Corps Operational Test and Evaluation Activity (MCOTEA), conducted the RQ-21A IOT&E between January and December 2014. The Navy and Marine Corps plan to use the results of IOT&E to inform the Services Full-Rate Production (FRP) decision, which was originally planned for October 2015, and is now scheduled to occur in September 2016. Additional testing is planned to occur before the September 2016 FRP. DOT&E intends to provide an updated operational assessment prior to the FRP to further support that decision. The RQ-21A is an Acquisition Category II program. The RQ-21A is not operationally effective. The detachment equipped with RQ-21A is not effective in supporting the ground commander s mission because of an inability to have an unmanned aircraft arrive on station at the designated time and remain on station for the duration of the tasked period. The electro-optical/infrared sensor provides accurate target locations. Operators using the sensors were not able to correctly classify 1-meter targets, which is necessary for consistent classification of hostile/non-hostile intent on the part of individuals by classifying such items as rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, and shovels. The RQ-21A is not operationally suitable. The RQ-21A demonstrated a Mean Flight Hour between Abort for the System (MFHBASYS) of 15.2 hours versus the 50-hour requirement. Because of air vehicle reliability, overall system availability did not meet the 80 percent key performance parameter threshold (demonstrated value = 66.9 percent).

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 29, 2015
Accession Number
ADA623607

Entities

Organizations

  • Operational Test and Evaluation Force

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Air Platforms
  • Cyber
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Sensors
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Cross Domain
  • Employment
  • Failure Mode And Effect Analysis
  • Global Positioning Systems
  • Ground Control Stations
  • Information Systems
  • Logistics
  • Optical Detectors
  • Quality Control
  • Surveillance
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Unmanned Aerial Systems
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  • Voice Communications
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering.
  • Aerospace Test and Evaluation
  • Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.

Technology Areas

  • 5G
  • Autonomy
  • Autonomy - UAVs