Technology Service Corporation RQ-29 LEA
In the mid-2010s, Technology Service Corporation (TSC) developed a quiet long-endurance ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) unmanned aircraft under SOCOM's LEAP (Long Endurance Aircraft Program) program. The aircraft, which is simply labeled LEA (Long Endurance Aircraft) by TSC, is an unmanned version of the Slovenian Pipistrel Sinus 912 ultra-light motorglider. With a typical mission payload, the LEA has an endurance of at least 24 hours.
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| Photo: Technology Service Corporation |
| LEA (RQ-29A) |
Not much information is available about how many of the aircraft are operated, and in which roles. However, it's known from a public accident report, that JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command) operated several LEA in the Middle East in the 2020 time frame. In 2023, the designation RQ-29A was allocated to the LEA.
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for RQ-29A:
| Length | 15 m (49 ft) |
| Wingspan | 7 m (23 ft) |
| Height | 2 m (6.5 ft) |
| Weight | ? |
| Speed | 185 km/h (115 mph) |
| Ceiling | 5180 m (17000 ft) |
| Endurance | max: > 40 h; with full payload: 24 h |
| Propulsion | Rotax 912iS piston engine |
Main Sources
[1] Technology Service Corporation Website
[2] The War Zone, Joseph Trevithick:
Crash In Iraq
Helps Unmask Secretive Ultra-Quiet Special Operations Drone Program
Back to Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Appendix 2
Last Updated: 2 August 2024