Aviation News – The Navy and Marine Corps announced that their Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Services unmanned aircraft systems have exceeded one million flight hours, marking a major milestone in U.S. maritime and land-based operations.
The achievement was reached during routine mission support within the U.S. 6th Fleet, according to the Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems program office (PMA-263) at Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, Maryland. The ISR Services fleet has grown steadily in scope and capability since its selection and deployment across global naval operations.
Currently, more than a dozen ships are equipped with ISR Services UAS, enabling naval vessels to deploy and retrieve aircraft in support of missions. Sea- and land-based systems include the Boeing Insitu MQ-27 ScanEagle and the Textron MQ-19 Aerosonde, both delivering unique capabilities to the warfighter. They provide day and night surveillance, supporting around the clock mission support.
The unmanned systems provide real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance for sailors and Marines. Their persistent flight capability enables continuous monitoring, threat detection, and situational awareness across complex environments, improving decision-making and operational readiness.
