The upgrades should help it cope with the sheer variety of missions the Navy has in mind, ranging from straightforward recon to targeting support for air, ground and naval units.

Don't expect to see one in active duty for a while. Although it's now clear for fleet ops and training, it won't deploy with littoral combat ships until fiscal 2021. Even so, it's reflective of just how much the Navy expects to depend on drones going forward. It wants UAVs available for as long as possible, and in as many roles as possible.