Marine Unmanned Arial Vehicle Squadron (VMU) 3, MRF-D's Air Combat Element (ACE), launched the surveillance aircraft in support of bilateral training between the U.S. and Australian Defence Forces, marking a series of firsts for the Hawaii-based unit. "This is the RQ-21 A's first deployment since we declared the squadron [fully operational], it's very exciting for us," said 1st Lt. Trevor Ellingson, an unmanned aircraft systems officer with VMU-3. This historical milestone comes in the midst of an unusual year for MRF-D. In order to ensure health and safety of Australians and U.S. service members amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the rotation was delayed by two months, reduced from 2,500 Marines to just more than 1,000 and saw the ACE-which was originally composed of several squadrons of manned aircraft including M V-22 Ospreys-reduced to just 32 Marines. However, the smaller footprint offered MRF-D an opportunity to exercise unmanned systems' capacity to support expeditionary advance bases and positions following modernization initiatives led by the Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. David H. Berger.
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