Marines Test a towed, catault launch UAV

The RQ-7B Shadows of Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron (VMU) is a 450-pound Group 3 unmanned aerial vehicle that, unlike its cousin, the RQ-21 Blackjack, cannot take off from or land on an amphibious ship at sea – rather, the Shadow system is transported via Humvees and requires a 710-foot runway on the ground.

Still, the system has proven itself in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan and could play a significant role in disaster relief missions, so the newly operational VMU-3 was invited to join the RIMPAC 2016 amphibious exercise.

SOURCES- USNI