Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadrons

VMUs operate the RQ-7B Shadow unmanned aerial system (UAS) which provides Marine ground forces with reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition. They also provide artillery spotting and can assist in search and rescue operations. Since 2004, the VMU squadrons have also been operating the Boeing ScanEagle UAS, and has longer endurance and smaller footprint, but has a lesser camera capability with no IR pointer. The Navy/Marine Corps has shown interest in the MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical Takeoff and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VTUAV), which was originally developed to meet the future Tier III requirements of the Marine Corps. Due to the high operational tempo of the VMU squadrons in recent years, the Marine Corps stood up VMU-3 in 2008 and VMU-4, a reserve unit, was activated in 2011.

last update 1. February 2024

written  1. April 2020

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