General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), supplier of the MQ-9A Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for the U.S. Marines Corps (USMC), has congratulated VMU-3 for being named the USMC’s UAV Squadron of the Year by the Marine Corps Aviation Association (MCAA).
The 2026 “John I. Hudson Award” recognizes VMU-3’s operational effectiveness in using the MQ-9A platform within the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) and the MAGTF Unmanned Expeditionary (MUX) program.
USMC’s UAV Squadron VMU-3, located at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, operates MQ-9A Extended Range (ER) UAVs with unique sensors and network capabilities that support training for the Marine Littoral Regiment.
MCAA also named VMU-3’s Capt. Garett B. Goar as the Marines’ UAV Officer of the Year.
GA-ASI Vice President of DoD Strategic Development Patrick Shortsleeve said, “GA-ASI congratulates VMU-3 and Capt. Goar for their MCAA awards and for the important work they’re doing in operating MQ-9A.”
To date, GA-ASI has delivered 20 MQ-9A Extended Range (ER) aircraft to the USMC that are operated by three USMC squadrons.
The MQ-9A ER is designed with field-retrofittable capabilities such as wing-borne fuel pods and a reinforced landing gear that extends the aircraft’s endurance while further increasing its operational flexibility. It provides long-endurance, persistent surveillance capabilities with Full-Motion Video and a Synthetic Aperture Radar/Moving Target Indicator/Maritime Mode Radar. An extremely reliable aircraft, MQ-9A ER is equipped with a fault-tolerant flight control system and a triple-redundant avionics system architecture. It is engineered to meet and exceed manned aircraft reliability standards.
