SOCOM retires MARSS QRC aircraft
Although the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) already ceased the missions with the Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System Quick Reaction Capability (MARSS QRC) fleet on 30 September 2021, the final three aircraft will officially be withdrawn from use by March 2022.
The aircraft were operated by the US Army on behalf of USSOCOM. Although specific sensors of the MARSS QRCs changed over the period of service to meet emerging threats and mission needs, the principal capabilities of the fleet included signals intelligence, full-motion video, and high-resolution imagery sensors.
The MARSS QRC King Airs, operated by the US Army on behalf of USSOCOM, were modified from commercial Beech 300s dating back to the late 2000s. The final three aircraft provided USSOCOM with operational support for about 90 missions per month resulting in more than 130,000 flying hours at the time of their retirement. The final aircraft are currently in the Continental United States (CONUS) undergoing de-modification to remove all of the aerial ISR equipment.
According to the Scramble Magazine database information, the serials of the aircraft involved are coming from the batch 07-61008 to 07-61018. These aircraft were originally operated in civil markings and had civil US registrations. Later on, the aircraft received US serials, some were painted in a dark grey overall colourscheme, but some of them still had their civil registration painted on the aircraft.
Photo by Stephan de Bruijn (via AirHistory.net)