The United States Marine Corps has achieved a significant milestone in the field of unmanned aviation by surpassing 20,000 flight hours with their Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Unmanned Expeditionary (MUX) Medium-Altitude, High-Endurance (MALE) MQ-9A Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS).

In a press release, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), the manufacturer of the MQ-9A, hailed the U.S. Marine Corps on this remarkable achievement. The company underscored the service’s commitment to strengthening its aerial surveillance capabilities and confidence in GA-ASI’s expertise in delivering top-tier UAS.

MQ-9A UAS: A Critical Asset for Mission-Critical Objectives

The MQ-9A UAS, known for its fault-tolerant flight control system and triple-redundant avionics system architecture, has become a critical asset for the U.S. Marine Corps in supporting mission-critical objectives.

VMU-3 Launches MQ-9A
This image gives you some perspective on the size of the drone. (Image source: DVIDS)

GA-ASI has delivered eight MQ-9A UAS to the service, with two actively engaged in operational missions. These aircraft have proved their worth and are now integral to the Marines fleet.