이라크에서 활약중인 AAI사제 RQ-7 Shadow 200 무인정찰기입니다.
Shadow 200 단거리전술 무인정찰기는 AAI사가 1990년 개발한 것으로 97년부터 배치된 RQ-6 Outrider TUAV의 계속적인 문제발생으로 인해 미육군이 1999년 경쟁을 실시하여 채택하였습니다.

The Shadow 200 short-range TUAV (Tactical UAV) was developed by AAI Corp. in the 1990s. When the RQ-6 Outrider TUAV ran into continued troubles in the 1997/98 time frame, the U.S. Army decided to conduct a competitive evaluation between the Outrider and Shadow 200 TUAV systems in 1999. The latter was declared winner of this competition, and AAI subsequently received a first LRIP (Low-Rate Initial Production) contract to provide Shadow 200 systems for further testing and evaluation. The UAV itself was officially designated RQ-7A. Between April 2001 and late 2002, the IOT&E (Initial Operational Test & Evaluation) phase of the program was conducted successfully, and in October 2002 the Shadow 200 was approved for full-rate production.

The RQ-7A is of the same twin-boom pusher layout as several other battlefield UAVs, like e.g. the RQ-2 Pioneer and the RQ-5 Hunter. It is powered by a UEL AR-741 rotary engine, and has a non-retractable tricycle landing gear for conventional wheeled take-off and landing. The RQ-7A can also be launched from a catapult and has a tailhook to catch arresting cables for a shorter landing run. A Shadow 200 system consists of four RQ-7A air vehicles and the associated equipment. The latter includes two GCSs (Ground Control Stations), from where the operators have full control over the UAVs and their sensors. Both LOS (Line-Of-Sight) and non-LOS datalinks are provided for command uplink and sensor data downlink. The Shadow 200 UAV can be equipped with a GPS-based navigation system for fully autonomous operations. The UAV's tasks include day/night reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition and BDA (Bomb Damage Assessment). The primary mission payload for the initial (Block 1) RQ-7A production vehicles is an IAI Tamam POP (Plug-In Optronic Payload) IR/EO (Infrared/Electro-Optical) sensor turret, but Block 2 vehicles are planned to use an improved Wescam EO/IR sensor. Other payloads are also under consideration, including a SAR/MTI (Synthetic Aperture Radar/Moving Target Indicator) unit.
By March 2004, the U.S. Army has ordered 33 Shadow 200 systems plus a number of additional air vehicles as attrition replacements. 15 systems have been delivered, and current procurement plans call for a total of up to 44 systems. The Shadow 200 will eventually replace the RQ-5 Hunter in U.S. Army service.

In August 2004, the improved RQ-7B air vehicle began to roll off from AAI's production line. The RQ-7B has larger wings with a more efficient airfoil and increased fuel capacity, allowing an endurance of more than 6 hours. Additionally, the vehicle has an enlarged tail, upgraded avionics (including an improved flight controller with an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) and increased computing power), and new payload options. The RQ-7B will also be fitted with the Army's Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL).

Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!

Data for RQ-7A:
Length 3.40 m (11 ft 2 in)
Wingspan 3.89 m (12 ft 9 in)
Height 0.91 m (3 ft 0 in)
Weight max: 149 kg (328 lb); empty: 75 kg (165 lb)
Speed max: 227 km/h (141 mph); cruise: 120-156 km/h (75-97 mph)
Ceiling 4570 m (15000 ft)
Range 125 km (67 nm)
Endurance 5 h
Propulsion UEL AR-741 rotary engine; 28.3 kW (38 hp