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The US Navy’s MQ-9 Reaper test squadron at Pax River, Maryland, has taken delivery of the first SkyTower II airborne network extension pod.
This is the first step toward preparing the system for its initial operational capability with the US Marine Corps next year.
The SkyTower pod enhances cross-domain communication capabilities and links communications between disparate forces.
It provides tactical, operational communications and data-sharing capabilities for the execution of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations.
A Sky Tower-equipped MQ-9 will serve as a lynchpin for the Marine Air-Ground Task Force, connecting both aerial and ground combat elements.
Pod Integration
After receiving the aircraft at Pax River, the US Navy’s Air Test and Evaluation (UX) 24 mounted the system onto the MQ-9 for initial power-on checks, initiating the integration of the new capability onto the aircraft.
A fit check was also performed on the aircraft in an anechoic chamber, in addition to a number of additional tests.
The aircraft was hoisted for the first time as risk reduction for upcoming program efforts.
“The program is excited to deliver SkyTower II for testing, marking a major milestone in our development journey,” US Navy’s Multi-Mission Tactical UAS program manager Capt Dennis Monagle said.
“With robust system and integration testing now underway, we remain on track to achieve initial operating capability this year, delivering critical capability to the US Marine Corps and the joint forces.”
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Deployment in 2026
A team of GALT (Global Air Logistics and Training) and Sierra Nevada Corporation was selected in 2023 to build the pod in support of the US Marine Corps’ MQ-9 drone.
“Over the past two years, we’ve partnered with GALT, a small business prime vendor, to rapidly develop this unique capability using middle-tier acquisition, accelerating innovation for the warfighter,” Monagle added.
The pod will be delivered to the fleet after a final round of test events over the next several months.
The US Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3 will be the first to deploy the system in 2026.