December 23, 2007: The U.S. Army is
buying 56 more RQ-7 Shadow 200 UAVs, for about $11 million per system (each
containing four UAVs, plus operator and maintenance equipment.) The army
already has over 360 Shadow 200s, which have spent over 260,000 hours in the
air so far. Most of them are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each UAV weighs
327 pounds and can carry 56 pounds of equipment (usually a day or night vision
camera and a transmitter). The UAV is eleven feet long and has a wingspan of
12.75 feet. It can fly as high as 15,000 feet (out of range of small arms). The
Shadow has a range of about 50 kilometers and can stay in the air for up to six
hours. The army is equipping each combat brigade with a Shadow system, to
provide the brigade with its own aerial reconnaissance capability. The Shadow
has been in use for seven years, and the troops are pleased with the ease of
use and the quality of the video they get from it. The Shadow has been very
reliable, with UAVs being available for use 95 percent of the time.
