Credit
Lance Cpl. Rhita Daniel · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified
FORCETALLY
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BDrones & UAVs
Maritime unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aerial vehicle and patrol aircraft
At a glance
Measured figures
Length
Single sourceRQ-21A · Length
Single sourceConfiguration
| Specification | Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack | Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton |
|---|---|---|
| Crew | — | Unmanned – 4 personnel fly aircraft from ground station[source] |
| Type | Unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aerial vehicle[source] | Maritime unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aerial vehicle and patrol aircraft[source] |
| National origin | United States[source] | United States[source] |
| Manufacturer | Insitu wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing Defense, Space & Security[source] | Northrop Grumman |
MQ-4C · Length
Single source47 ft 7 in (14.5 m)[source]
MQ-4C · Height
Single source15 ft 5 in (4.6 m)[source]
Empty; Empty weight
Single sourceMaximum take-off; Max takeoff weight
Single sourceMaximum take-off; RQ-21A · Max takeoff weight
Single source81 lb (37 kg)[source]
135 lb (61 kg)[source]
135 lb / 61 kg[source]
Empty; MQ-4C · Empty weight
Single sourceGross; MQ-4C · Gross weight
Single sourceCruise; Cruise speed
Single sourceCruise; RQ-21A · Cruise speed
Manufacturer claimMaximum; Maximum speed
Single source100 mph (170 km/h, 90 kn)[source]
63 mph (100 km/h, 55 kn)[source]
90+ knots / 46.3 m/s[source]
60 knots[source]
Maximum; MQ-4C · Maximum speed
Single source357 mph (575 km/h, 320 kn)[source]
MQ-4C · 1 × Rolls-Royce AE 3007 turbofan engine thrust
Single source1 × Rolls-Royce AE 3007 turbofan engine, 6,495–8,917 lbf (28.89–39.66 kN) thrust[source]
Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
| Status | In service[source] | Limited service[source] |
|---|
| Primary users | United States Marine Corps United States Navy Australian Army[source] | United States Navy Royal Australian Air Force[source] |
|---|
| Number built | 109 systems with 5 air vehicles each (estimated through FY2017)[source] | US: 68 (planned) + 2 prototypes Australia: 3 delivered out of 4 ordered[source] |
|---|
| Introduction date | April 2014[source] | May 2018[source] |
|---|
| First flight | 28 July 2012[source] | 22 May 2013 ( 2013-05-22 )[source] |
|---|
| Developed from | Boeing Insitu ScanEagle[source] | Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk[source] |
|---|
| Propellers | 2-bladed[source] | — |
|---|
| Manufactured | — | 48 as of 2024[source] |
|---|
| Alternative designation | — | MQ-4C Triton[source] |
|---|