RQ-2B Pioneer

A U.S. Navy RQ-2B Pioneer Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, assigned to the “Firebees” of Fleet Composite Squadron Six (VC-6), uses its sensor turret to scan the crowd as it conducts a pass during its flight demonstration at the 2005 Naval UAV Air Demo held at the Webster Field Annex of Naval Air Station Patuxent River. The Pioneer Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) system provides real-time intelligence and reconnaissance capability to the field commander. This highly mobile system provides high quality video imagery for artillery or naval gunfire adjustment, battle damage assessment, and reconnaissance over land or sea. VC-6 is the Navy’s sole operator of the Pioneer. The daylong UAV demonstration highlights unmanned technology and capabilities from the military and industry and offers a unique opportunity to display and demonstrate full-scale systems and hardware. This year’s theme was, “Focusing Unmanned Technology on the Global War on Terror.” (U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Daniel J. McLain)