US Navy Reaper UAS Fitted With New SkyTower II Comms Package

The U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command (Navair) is beginning tests on the new SkyTower II (STII) communications package developed by GALT Aerospace for its MQ-9 Reaper uncrewed air system (UAS).

As per a recent Navair press statement, STII is a pod that can be fitted to Reaper drones to form a network extension that enhances ISR mission capabilities by boosting cross-domain communications, linking comms and data transfer between different forces.

The first STII pod was delivered to Navair’s Patuxent River facility in Maryland towards the end of last month, where its UX-24 Air Test and Evaluation team loaded it onto an MQ-9 for the first time.

Completing power checks represented the first stage of the installation process; once fully integrated onto the drone, the aim is for the STII system to reach initial operational capability (IOC) and be deployed to Marine Corps squadron VMU-3 next year.

VMU-3 is currently flying MQ-9’s in theater today and will be the first to deploy with this new system in 2026.

Capt. Dennis Monagle, Multi-Mission Tactical UAS program manager, commented: “The programme is excited to deliver SkyTower II for testing, marking a major milestone in our development journey.” 

He continued: “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.

“With robust system and integration testing now underway, we remain on track to achieve initial operating capability this year, delivering critical capability to the U.S. Marine Corps and the joint forces.”

UX-24 has also been conducting anechoic chamber tests with the new STII-enabled drone; across the next months it will continue conducting final tests before delivering the upgraded MQ-9s to the fleet.

• You can read more details on the Navair website