Navy UAS Surpass 1 Million Hours in ISR Operations

09 April 2026 PATUXENT RIVER, Md. - The Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Program Office announced its Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Services UAS have surpassed 1 million flight hours supporting operations on land and at sea.

Sailors achieved the milestone during routine mission support in the U.S. 6th Fleet.

Since the program’s inception in 2005, the program office has completed more than 50 UAS installations aboard Navy and Military Sealift Command (MSC) ships and operated from more than 50 land-based locations worldwide. The ISR Services team ensures ships across the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th fleets, as well as land-based operations worldwide, are equipped to provide day-and-night ISR support to joint force and coalition partners.

“Every hour flown represents more than mission success—it reflects the resilience of our people, the trust of our partners and the impact we’ve had on history,” said Gregg Skinner, program manager. “Together, we’ve supported operations in every corner of the globe, advanced unmanned systems into the fight and stood ready in times of uncertainty.”

More than a dozen ships are currently equipped with ISR Services UAS, enabling naval vessels to launch and recover aircraft in support of missions. Sea- and land-based systems include the Boeing Insitu MQ-27 ScanEagle and the Textron MQ-19 Aerosonde, both providing day-and-night surveillance and around-the-clock mission support to the warfighter.

UAS installations are optimized to help transfer full-motion video and other sensor data to personnel in critical locations. The information gathered by these systems plays a vital role in tactical operational decision-making and long-term intelligence gathering, strengthening the Navy and Marine Corps’ ability to maintain maritime domain awareness and operational readiness.

From the Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Office.