Raven

Raven, designated RQ-11 by the US military, is a small, hand-launched reconnaissance drone developed by AeroVironment of the United States, first flown in October 2001 and fielded from 2003. It is one of the most widely produced military UAVs in the world, with more than 19,000 airframes delivered to over 30 countries.

Overview

Raven was developed to give small infantry units — down to squad level — their own organic, over-the-hill reconnaissance capability without depending on higher-echelon assets. It grew out of AeroVironment's earlier Pointer UAV programme and entered US military service as the RQ-11 in 2003, becoming a mainstay "Group 1" small UAS used throughout the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Its baseline configuration, the RQ-11B, remains the version most widely fielded, alongside a digital-datalink variant carrying the same designation.

Design and capabilities

Raven is a small flying wing about 0.91 m long with a 1.37 m wingspan, weighing 1.9 kg, launched by hand with a throw rather than a catapult or runway. It is battery-powered, cruises at roughly 30 km/h with a maximum speed of about 81 km/h, and can operate 100–500 m above the ground (up to about 4,267 m above mean sea level). Typical endurance is 60–90 minutes with a control range of about 10 km. The aircraft carries a small gimballed electro-optical and infrared camera package that streams live video to a handheld ground control unit, and it lands by a controlled belly-flop, which the airframe is built to absorb repeatedly.

Operational history

Raven has been used continuously by US forces since 2003 in Iraq, Afghanistan and other deployments, and remains the most widely used small UAS in the US inventory, though the US Marine Corps retired its RQ-11B fleet in January 2023 in favour of newer systems. More than 30 allied and partner militaries operate the Raven, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Spain and Ukraine, the latter having received Ravens as part of US security-assistance packages after 2022.

Variants

• RQ-11A – original production version.
• RQ-11B – improved digital datalink and payload version, the most widely fielded model.
• CU-173 – Canadian Forces designation for its Raven fleet.
• Solar Raven – experimental variant with wing-mounted solar cells to extend endurance.

Frequently asked questions

What is the range of the Raven drone?

About 10 km, with an endurance of 60–90 minutes per flight.

How much does a Raven weigh?

About 1.9 kg (4.2 lb), light enough to be launched by hand.

Which countries use the Raven?

More than 30 countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Spain and Ukraine.

How is the Raven launched and recovered?

It is launched by hand, like throwing a javelin, and lands by an autonomous controlled belly-flop; no runway is needed.

Who makes the Raven?

AeroVironment, a US company that also builds the Puma, Wasp and Switchblade small UAS.