Role & capabilities
- Reconnaissance aircraft
- Primary domain
- Air
- System type
- Reconnaissance aircraft
- Developer / manufacturer
- Insitu / Boeing
- Origin / production countries
- United States
- Other names
- Blackjack
- Variants / configurations
- RQ-21A baseline
- Operators / programme customers
- US naval programme — historical operator specification
Evidence & current status
The sources below establish the stated programme milestone or supplier claim. They do not independently verify every configuration, delivery total or advertised performance figure.
Role and programme
NAVAIR describes Blackjack as an expeditionary system for land and shipboard reconnaissance and communications relay. Its published system package comprises five aircraft, two ground stations and supporting launch/recovery equipment; a system count is therefore not an aircraft count.
The reference table gives an older 135 lb aircraft baseline. The catalogue keeps that configuration separate from the heavier current Integrator marketing table. The NAVAIR record establishes the aircraft and its mission, but should not be used as a current inventory or a claim that every original customer still operates it.
Sourced specifications
Figures apply to the named configuration. Maximum values are not guaranteed operating performance.
| Specification | Reported value | Context & source |
|---|---|---|
| Airframe | Fixed-wing reconnaissance aircraft | Published specification for the named configuration. Maxima are not necessarily achievable together. Source |
| Launch / recovery | Runway-independent launch and recovery | Published specification for the named configuration. Maxima are not necessarily achievable together. Source |
| Propulsion | Not established from the reviewed public sources. | Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted. Source |
| Dimensions | 15.7 ft span; 8.2 ft length | Published specification for the named configuration. Maxima are not necessarily achievable together. Source |
| Mass | 135 lb published weight; weighing condition not defined | Published specification for the named configuration. Maxima are not necessarily achievable together. Source |
| Endurance | Up to 16 h | Published specification for the named configuration. Maxima are not necessarily achievable together. Source |
| Range | 50 km published range; definition not stated | Published specification for the named configuration. Maxima are not necessarily achievable together. Source |
| Speed | 60 kt | Published specification for the named configuration. Maxima are not necessarily achievable together. Source |
| Altitude | Up to 20,000 ft | Published specification for the named configuration. Maxima are not necessarily achievable together. Source |
| Payload | Not established from the reviewed public sources. | Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted. Source |
| Sensors | Day/night video; customer-dependent additional sensors | Published specification for the named configuration. Maxima are not necessarily achievable together. Source |
| Communications / navigation | Ground-control datalink; communications-relay payload | Published specification for the named configuration. Maxima are not necessarily achievable together. Source |
Publication history
- — Added a sourced global catalogue profile with configuration-specific data and explicit evidence limits.
Suggest a correction to this entry
Follow the evidence
Source types identify who makes the claim. Programme milestones and supplier statements should be read in context.
- NAVAIR RQ-21A programme specification (opens in a new tab)Government / operator