Integrator (RQ-21 Blackjack)
Catapult fixed-wing UAS
The Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack, also known as Integrator, is a small tactical unmanned aircraft system primarily used by the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy for multi-payload intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
Mission Profile
The RQ-21 Blackjack is designed to provide persistent, expeditionary intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities to tactical commanders. Its primary role involves supporting ground combat elements and naval vessels by extending their organic sensing and target acquisition range. The system is particularly suited for operations in austere environments, including deployment from ships and unimproved land sites, due to its runway-independent launch and recovery system.
Employing a multi-payload capacity, the Blackjack can integrate various sensor packages, including electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) cameras, communications relay, and signals intelligence (SIGINT) payloads, allowing for mission flexibility across a spectrum of operational requirements. It enhances situational awareness, supports force protection, and aids in target prosecution by providing critical, real-time data to decision-makers at the tactical edge.
Key Features
- ▸Multi-payload capability for diverse ISR missions
- ▸Runway-independent launch (catapult) and recovery (SkyHook system)
- ▸Modular design enabling rapid payload changes
- ▸Extended endurance and range compared to smaller tactical UAS
- ▸Maritime and land-based operational capability
- ▸Small logistical footprint for expeditionary deployment
- ▸Open architecture for sensor integration
Specifications
- ceiling
- 19,500 ft (5,944 m)
- configuration
- Fixed-wing, twin-boom, pusher propeller
- endurance
- 16+ hours
- mtow
- 135 lbs (61.2 kg)
- payload
- 39 lbs (17.7 kg)
- propulsion
- Single piston engine
- range
- 50+ nautical miles (93 km) operational radius
- speed
- 60 knots (111 km/h) cruise
Notable Operators
Comparable Platforms
About the Manufacturer
Insitu, a Boeing subsidiary, has built and fielded the ScanEagle and Integrator family of catapult-launched, skyhook-recovered fixed-wing UAS for two decades. Its platforms are the workhorses of US Navy and Marine Corps Group 3 ISR operations.