The RQ7 Shadow is a drone that is catapulted. It is used by the American, Australian and Swedish armies. It allows ground recognition, surveillance, espionage and damage assessment.
Its autonomy is 7 hours. It has a 38 hp engine. Its speed is 68 mph. Its wingspan is 13.1 feets. Its length is 9.8 feets.
Cost per system: US$ 15.5 million. Cost per unit: US$ 750,000. Program cost: US$ 1.4 billion.
8) Hermes 450
The Hermes 450. This is an Israeli drone. It has two air-to-ground missiles. Its wingspan is 32.8 feets, its length is 19.7 feets. Its maximum load is 1322 pounds. It flies over 3.1 miles above the sea level. Its speed is 93 mph.
Unit cost: $ 2 million.
7) MQ-1 Predator
The MQ-1 Predator is 45.9 feets wingspan, 26.2 feets long, 6.6 feets high. It is equipped with two large Hellfire AGM-114 missiles with laser guidance. Its range is 776 miles. Its maximum altitude of 4.3 miles. Its speed of 80 mph. Its engine is 115 hp.
Program cost: $ 2.4 billion. Unit cost: $ 4 million.
6) Sperwer B
The Sperwer B is a French drone, manufactured by Sagem Défense Sécurité. It is propelled by catapult. It has a 65 hp engine. It measures a wingspan of 13.1 feets, 9.8 feets long. Its maximum altitude is 1.9 miles, its range of action is 111 miles. It is used for observation, monitoring.
The cost per unit is € 5 million.
5) Reaper MQ-9
The Reaper MQ-9 is controlled in a range of 200 km from the pilot and by satellite. Its wingspan is 65.6 feets, its length is 36 feets. Its top speed: 298 mph, its range of action: 1149 miles. Its altitude of flight: 9.32 miles. Unity cost: US$16.9 million. Program cost: US$11.8 billion.
It is used by the US Army and the US Navy. It has sensors and cameras. It can be used for scientific purposes.
4) MQ-8 Fire Scout
The MQ-8 Fire Scout is a helicopter drone. It is used for recon missions. It flies with biofuel.
Its power is 420 hp. The rotor has a diameter of 26.2 feets. Its length is 19.6 feets. Its height of 2.87 meters.
Cost per unit: $ 18.2 million. Program cost: $ 3 billion.
3) RQ-4 Global Hawk
The RQ-4 Global Hawk. From the US Air Force and the US Navy. It can fly at over 11.2 miles in altitude. Its weight is 14.6 tons, its wingspan 45.9 feets. Its autonomy: more than 30 hours. Field of action 14 154 miles, speed: 394 mph. Cost: US$ 222.7 million. Program cost: US$ 10 billion.
It is used for espionage, to locate fixed or mobile objectives. It has electro-optical sensors. It can be used in a civilian matter to see the damage of a natural disaster for example.
2) X47 B
The X47 B is a drone wtih the form of a stealth aircraft. It is 36 feets long, 9.8 feets high. Its range is 2.4 miles. For a maximum altitude of 7.45 miles.
Its speed is more than mach 0.9.
Program cost: US$ 813 million. Unit cost US$ 372 million.
1) X-37 B
The X-37 B is a Boeing drone. It measures 26.2 feets long, with a wingspan of 13.1 feets. It has a weight of 5 tons. It is powered with carrier rocket. It can remain more than 674 days in space.
The cost of the program is classified. But its total is estimated at $ 20 billion.
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