Hunter

Hunter is a family of tactical unmanned aerial systems — the RQ-5A, MQ-5B and MQ-5C Extended Hunter — developed by TRW (later part of Northrop Grumman) and Israel Aerospace Industries for the US Army, first fielded in 1996. It was the US Army's first operational unmanned aircraft system, and the entire family was retired from US Army service in December 2015.

Overview

The original RQ-5A Hunter entered Army service in 1996 and supported NATO operations over Kosovo between 1999 and 2002, before deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan from the early 2000s. The improved MQ-5B, with a heavy-fuel diesel powertrain and a lengthened, fuel-carrying centre wing, first flew in August 2005 and became the Army's primary variant; the longer-range, higher-altitude MQ-5C Extended Hunter first flew in April 2005 but saw more limited use. The US Army retired its last Hunter aircraft in December 2015, replacing the type with the MQ-1C Gray Eagle, after a final flight at Fort Hood, Texas.

The Hunter was also exported, with France and Belgium recorded as operators; the Belgian variant, built in cooperation with IAI, added an automatic take-off and landing system based on a laser tracker.

Design and capabilities

The baseline MQ-5B is 7.01 m long with a 10.44 m wingspan and a maximum take-off weight of about 816 kg, carrying a total payload of up to 227 kg, including up to 60 kg on each of two external wing hard points capable of carrying weapons such as the Northrop Grumman Viper Strike laser-guided munition. It is powered by two heavy-fuel diesel engines in a twin-tail-boom, push-pull configuration, giving a loiter speed of 60–80 knots (111–148 km/h) and a maximum speed of about 222 km/h (120 knots). Test flights in 2006 confirmed an endurance beyond 21 hours, and the type has a service ceiling of about 6,100 m (20,000 ft) and an operational range of up to 200 km using a relay aircraft. The larger MQ-5C variant extends the centre wing further, to a 16.6 m span, raising endurance to more than 30 hours and ceiling to about 7,620 m (25,000 ft).

In October 2002 the Hunter demonstrated carriage and release of the Northrop Grumman BAT anti-tank submunition, destroying an armoured vehicle and a tank during testing, and in August 2003 it deployed the related Viper Strike precision munition; in September 2007 the US Army used an armed MQ-5B Hunter to drop a laser-guided bomb on a target in Iraq, the Army's first use of an armed unmanned aircraft.

Operational history

Hunter aircraft served with the US Army from 1996 until the type's retirement in December 2015, including deployments over Kosovo and extended service in Iraq and Afghanistan. France and Belgium also operated the system.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Hunter still in service?

No. The US Army retired its Hunter fleet in December 2015, replacing it with the MQ-1C Gray Eagle.

What replaced the Hunter?

The MQ-1C Gray Eagle took over the US Army's medium-altitude tactical UAS role.

How long could the MQ-5B Hunter fly?

Test flights confirmed an endurance of more than 21 hours.

Could the Hunter carry weapons?

Yes. It carried munitions such as the Viper Strike laser-guided weapon and, in 2007, dropped a laser-guided bomb in Iraq — the US Army's first use of an armed drone.

Who else operated the Hunter?

France and Belgium operated the type alongside the US Army.