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Unmanned aircraft system hits milestone

A training milestone has been reached at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., with the 5,000th flight of the RQ-7B Shadow unmanned aircraft system.

The Unmanned Aircraft System Training Battalion logged the accomplishment June 27 at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., during a month in which the battalion also exceeded the 10,000-hour mark of Shadow operations, according to an Army statement.

About 46 Army units and two Marine units are outfitted with the Shadow. The UASTB at Fort Huachuca trains all Army and Marine UAS personnel, about 1,300 service members each year.

Since first taking flight in November 2002, the Shadow has accumulated about 73,670 flights for the services, the release stated.

The 5,000th flight at Fort Huachuca represents about 14.7 percent of Defense Department Shadow flights.

The Shadow is produced by the AAI Corporation in Hunt Valley, Md., and is used by the U.S. military to fly reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition missions in support of brigade combat teams throughout Iraq and Afghanistan.