
The Army is embarking on a campaign to incrementally upgrade the performance and operational capability of the RQ-7 Shadow unmanned aerial system, which it plans to fly for at least another 20 years. Lt. Col. Tory Burgess, Shadow product manager at the Army's aviation program office, said improvements to the existing V1 model include extended wings, integrating laser target designators and weatherizing the system so it can perform in heavy rain. One of the most significant challenges is finding a new engine for…