VMU-2
Encyclopedia
Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2 (VMU-2) is an unmanned aerial vehicle
squadron in the United States Marine Corps
that operates the RQ-7 Shadow
. They are based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
, North Carolina
and provide aerial surveillance for the II Marine Expeditionary Force. They fall under the command of Marine Air Control Group 28
and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
.
s, Atlantic, thus becoming the first Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV) unit within the Marine Corps.
On August 22, 1984, the detachment reorganized, and was re-designated, as the 1st Remotely Piloted Vehicle Platoon, Headquarters Battalion, and 2nd Marine Division. During November 1984, Marines traveled to Israel
and began indoctrination training on the Mastiff RPV system. Upon completion of contractor training, 1st RPV Platoon accepted its first two Mastiff air vehicles, control stations, and associated ground support equipment.
In June 1986, 1st RPV Platoon was assigned to the 13th Marine Amphibious Unit
and embarked aboard USS Tarawa
for operations in the Western Pacific
. In October 1986, the 1st RPV Platoon was reorganized and re-designated as the 2nd Remotely Piloted Vehicle Company, Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, NC while deployed with the 13th MAU. The 2d RPV Company transitioned to the Pioneer (Option I) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle system. During May 1987, 2d RPV Company was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation
for its numerous contributions to the fielding of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles within the Marine Corps.
During the next three years, the 2d RPV Company trained on the Pioneer system and deployed within the continental United States
in support of several Marine Corps exercises. In February 1989, RPVs were incorporated into the Surveillance, Reconnaissance, Intelligence Group
(SRIG) concept as an independent company under the group command in March 1990; the unit received the Pioneer Option II air vehicle. As the first UAV unit to field this upgrade, the company embarked aboard the USS Nassau
and conducted the first shipboard trial operations of the Pioneer Option II air vehicle.
In August 1990, the 2d RPV Company was reassigned to the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (4th MEB) and embarked to Southwest Asia
in support of Operation Desert Shield. The company remained embarked with the 4th MEB until November 1990. Thereafter, the company was ordered ashore and reassigned to the 1st Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Intelligence Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force. During January 1991, the company deployed to Saudi Arabia
in direct support of the 2nd Marine Division and later conducted missions in support of Operation Desert Storm. From February 15, to March 3, 1991, direct support of Operation Desert Storm was conducted from Al Qurah. 2d RPV Company began retrograde operations and returned to Camp Lejeune on 20 March 1991. During Operation Desert Shield/Storm, 2d RPV Company flew a total of 69 sorties and 226 flight hours. Of these, 55 sorties and 192 flight hours were combat. No Pioneer air vehicles were lost as a result of enemy action.
During May 1991, a detachment from 2d RPV Company was formed to participate in Operation Provide Comfort
and the Kurdish
relief effort in northern Iraq
. These Marines provided surveillance information during the conduct of the operation. The detachment returned to Camp Lejeune, NC on 31 May 1991. For the remainder of 1991, the company provided support to various elements of II Marine Expeditionary Force.
On January 1, 1993, 2d Remotely Piloted Vehicle Company was re-designated as the 2d Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Company and in February 1994, the company was re-equipped with the Pioneer Option II Plus air vehicle. On January 16, 1996, 2nd UAV Company was reorganized under Marine Aviation sponsorship and re-designated as Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2 (VMU 2). Placed under Marine Aircraft Group 14
, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
, the squadron was relocated to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, NC in May 1996. Then, in August 2000, VMU-2 was re-assigned to Marine Air Control Group 28
, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
in February 2003 and subsequently played a key role in Operation Southern Watch
and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Conducting day and night aerial reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition missions in support of coalition forces in the Persian Gulf region, the squadron was deployed for seven months in support of combat operations. Of the 30 squadrons, 200 aircraft and more than 7000 Marines and Sailors
from 2nd MAW to conduct combat operations in Iraq, VMU-2 was the final unit to return from Iraq in September 2003.
In February 2004, the squadron deployed to Al Taqqadum Airbase, Iraq again in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom conducting combat missions in support of coalition forces in the Sunni Triangle region. During this deployment the Squadron flew over 2,100 hours comprising 700+ combat sorties in support of I MEF in and around Fallujah
and Ramadi
, Iraq. In August 2004 the Squadron returned to MCAS Cherry Point and are currently preparing for yet another deployment to Iraq.
VMU-2 has deployed four more times in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.
The squadron will deploy a detachment to Afghanistan
in the spring of 2009 as part of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. They will be part of the 17,000 troop increase announced by President Obama
in mid-February..
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
squadron in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
that operates the RQ-7 Shadow
RQ-7 Shadow
The RQ-7 Shadow unmanned aerial vehicle is used by the United States Army and Marine Corps. Launched from a trailer-mounted pneumatic catapult, it is recovered with the aid of arresting gear similar to jets on an aircraft carrier...
. They are based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point or MCAS Cherry Point is a United States Marine Corps airfield located in Havelock, North Carolina, USA, in the eastern part of the state...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and provide aerial surveillance for the II Marine Expeditionary Force. They fall under the command of Marine Air Control Group 28
Marine Air Control Group 28
Marine Air Control Group 28 is a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point that is currently composed of 5 squadrons and a battalion that provide the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing with airspace coordination, air control, immediate air...
and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
The 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing is the major east coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps and is based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina...
.
Early years
VMU-2 was originally formed in June 1984 as Detachment T, Target Acquisition Battery, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine ForceFleet Marine Force
The United States Fleet Marine Forces are combined general and special purpose forces within the United States Department of the Navy that are designed in engaging offensive amphibious or expeditionary warfare and defensive maritime employment...
s, Atlantic, thus becoming the first Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV) unit within the Marine Corps.
On August 22, 1984, the detachment reorganized, and was re-designated, as the 1st Remotely Piloted Vehicle Platoon, Headquarters Battalion, and 2nd Marine Division. During November 1984, Marines traveled to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and began indoctrination training on the Mastiff RPV system. Upon completion of contractor training, 1st RPV Platoon accepted its first two Mastiff air vehicles, control stations, and associated ground support equipment.
13th Marine Expeditionary Unit
The 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit is a Marine Air Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 personnel. The MEU consists of a command element, a reinforced...
and embarked aboard USS Tarawa
USS Tarawa (LHA-1)
USS Tarawa is a United States Navy amphibious assault ship, the lead ship of her class, and the second ship to be named for Tarawa Atoll, site of a Marine landing during World War II. The first Tarawa was the...
for operations in the Western Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. In October 1986, the 1st RPV Platoon was reorganized and re-designated as the 2nd Remotely Piloted Vehicle Company, Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, NC while deployed with the 13th MAU. The 2d RPV Company transitioned to the Pioneer (Option I) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle system. During May 1987, 2d RPV Company was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation
Navy Unit Commendation
The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
for its numerous contributions to the fielding of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles within the Marine Corps.
During the next three years, the 2d RPV Company trained on the Pioneer system and deployed within the continental United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in support of several Marine Corps exercises. In February 1989, RPVs were incorporated into the Surveillance, Reconnaissance, Intelligence Group
Surveillance, Reconnaissance, Intelligence Group
Surveillance, Reconnaissance, Intelligence Groups were intelligence units of the United States Marine Corps from 1988 to 1997. The SRIG command structure combined units of Radio Battalion, ANGLICO, Force Reconnaissance, remotely piloted aircraft, counterintelligence, and other intelligence...
(SRIG) concept as an independent company under the group command in March 1990; the unit received the Pioneer Option II air vehicle. As the first UAV unit to field this upgrade, the company embarked aboard the USS Nassau
USS Nassau (LHA-4)
USS Nassau was a Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship. She was capable of transporting more than 3,000 US United States Navy and United States Marine Corps personnel. Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, laid the ship's keel on August 13, 1973, she was commissioned on July 28, 1979...
and conducted the first shipboard trial operations of the Pioneer Option II air vehicle.
Gulf War and 1990s
Southwest Asia
Western Asia, West Asia, Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia are terms that describe the westernmost portion of Asia. The terms are partly coterminous with the Middle East, which describes a geographical position in relation to Western Europe rather than its location within Asia...
in support of Operation Desert Shield. The company remained embarked with the 4th MEB until November 1990. Thereafter, the company was ordered ashore and reassigned to the 1st Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Intelligence Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force. During January 1991, the company deployed to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
in direct support of the 2nd Marine Division and later conducted missions in support of Operation Desert Storm. From February 15, to March 3, 1991, direct support of Operation Desert Storm was conducted from Al Qurah. 2d RPV Company began retrograde operations and returned to Camp Lejeune on 20 March 1991. During Operation Desert Shield/Storm, 2d RPV Company flew a total of 69 sorties and 226 flight hours. Of these, 55 sorties and 192 flight hours were combat. No Pioneer air vehicles were lost as a result of enemy action.
During May 1991, a detachment from 2d RPV Company was formed to participate in Operation Provide Comfort
Operation Provide Comfort
Operation Provide Comfort and Provide Comfort II were military operations by the United States and some of its Gulf War allies, starting in April 1991, to defend Kurds fleeing their homes in northern Iraq in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War and deliver humanitarian aid to them.-Operation...
and the Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
relief effort in northern Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. These Marines provided surveillance information during the conduct of the operation. The detachment returned to Camp Lejeune, NC on 31 May 1991. For the remainder of 1991, the company provided support to various elements of II Marine Expeditionary Force.
On January 1, 1993, 2d Remotely Piloted Vehicle Company was re-designated as the 2d Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Company and in February 1994, the company was re-equipped with the Pioneer Option II Plus air vehicle. On January 16, 1996, 2nd UAV Company was reorganized under Marine Aviation sponsorship and re-designated as Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2 (VMU 2). Placed under Marine Aircraft Group 14
Marine Aircraft Group 14
Marine Aircraft Group 14 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina that is currently composed of four AV-8B Harrier squadrons, four EA-6B Prowler squadrons, one KC-130 squadron and a maintenance and logistics...
, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
The 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing is the major east coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps and is based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina...
, the squadron was relocated to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, NC in May 1996. Then, in August 2000, VMU-2 was re-assigned to Marine Air Control Group 28
Marine Air Control Group 28
Marine Air Control Group 28 is a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point that is currently composed of 5 squadrons and a battalion that provide the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing with airspace coordination, air control, immediate air...
, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Global War on Terrorism
VMU-2 deployed to KuwaitKuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
in February 2003 and subsequently played a key role in Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch was an operation conducted by Joint Task Force Southwest Asia with the mission of monitoring and controlling airspace south of the 32nd Parallel in Iraq, following the 1991 Gulf War until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.-Summary:Operation Southern Watch began on 27 August 1992...
and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Conducting day and night aerial reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition missions in support of coalition forces in the Persian Gulf region, the squadron was deployed for seven months in support of combat operations. Of the 30 squadrons, 200 aircraft and more than 7000 Marines and Sailors
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
from 2nd MAW to conduct combat operations in Iraq, VMU-2 was the final unit to return from Iraq in September 2003.
In February 2004, the squadron deployed to Al Taqqadum Airbase, Iraq again in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom conducting combat missions in support of coalition forces in the Sunni Triangle region. During this deployment the Squadron flew over 2,100 hours comprising 700+ combat sorties in support of I MEF in and around Fallujah
Fallujah
Fallujah is a city in the Iraqi province of Al Anbar, located roughly west of Baghdad on the Euphrates. Fallujah dates from Babylonian times and was host to important Jewish academies for many centuries....
and Ramadi
Ramadi
Ramadi is a city in central Iraq, about west of Baghdad. It is the capital of Al Anbar Governorate.-History:Ramadi is located in a fertile, irrigated, alluvial plain.The Ottoman Empire founded Ramadi in 1869...
, Iraq. In August 2004 the Squadron returned to MCAS Cherry Point and are currently preparing for yet another deployment to Iraq.
VMU-2 has deployed four more times in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.
The squadron will deploy a detachment to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in the spring of 2009 as part of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. They will be part of the 17,000 troop increase announced by President Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in mid-February..
See also
- United States Marine Corps AviationUnited States Marine Corps AviationUnited States Marine Corps Aviation is the air component of the United States Marine Corps. Marine aviation has a very different mission and operation than its ground counterpart, and thus, has many of its own histories, traditions, terms, and procedures....
- History of unmanned aerial vehiclesHistory of unmanned aerial vehiclesUnmanned aerial vehicles, known variously as UAVs, drones, and remotely piloted vehicles , have been a feature of aviation for much of its history, though often overlooked. For the purposes of this article, and to distinguish UAVs from missiles, a UAV is defined as being capable of controlled,...
- List of active United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons
- List of inactive United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons