IAI / TRW RQ-5 Hunter

Mutil-Role Short-Range Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Israel | 1996

"The IAI Hunter Unmanned Aerial Vehicle is operated by two personnel in a ground control station, offering full control over the aircraft component."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 06/22/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

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The Hunter is a large Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and was first introduced in 1996 in limited numbers with the United States Army. The system performed admirably well in support of Operation Allied Force over Kosovo where its real-time imagery and communications proved vital. The system was designed in Israel and was fielded by the government militaries of the United States of America, Belgium and France.

The Hunter design features a distinct twin-boom arrangement and straight edges making it appear very much like the Vietnam-era Rockwell OV-10 Bronco observation two-man aircraft unveiled some decades before (interesting correlation as both conduct the same type of operations to an extent). Another distinct design element is the use of twin engines, one mounted forward and one aft of the fuselage operating in a "push-pull" environment reminiscent of some failed World War 2 aircraft designs. Wings are of a straight monoplane design and mounted to the middle-rear of the fuselage portion. The twin booms connect at rear with a horizontal plane and feature twin vertical tail fins. The undercarriage is static.

The Hunter was born out of a US army need in the late 1980's joint unmanned aerial vehicle program that included the United Navy and Marine branches as well. TRW and Israeli Air Industries were tapped for their design and production of limited-quantity units for operational development beginning with an initial delivery of some seven systems. Like all early UAV systems, the Hunter was initially introduced as an observation / reconnaissance platform providing real-time imagery, target acquisition, artillery adjustment and general surveillance on the modern battlefield. Only later developments of UAVs would yield offensive ordnance and increase the potentiality of UAV systems in general.

The relatively small-sized and ruggedly constructed Hunter can operate from complete or semi-paved surfaces. Rocket assistance (RATO) can further its short take-off and landing capabilities if need be. Standard power is derived from twin Moto-Guzzi 60 horsepower engines. Landing can be equally assisted through the use of arrestor cables. Features of the Hunter UAV include an integrated global positioning system (GPS), forward-looking infrared FLIR, laser designator, VHF/UHF communications and electronic countermeasures. Operation is conducted through a land-based GCS-3000 Ground Control Station (GCS), a vehicle manned by two operators - one controlling flight and the other controlling the payload functions. A Remote Video Terminal (RVT) can operate independently of the GCS or in conjunction with it through a direct link up.

The "Extended" Hunter UAV is nothing more than a high-altitude, longer endurance version of the original Hunter UAV concept. Extended Hunter can traverse the atmosphere at up to 20,000 feet, features a wingspan double the original Hunter and improved range. B-Hunter features an automatic landing system. And is operated by Belgium which purchased six aircraft and two stations in 1998. The Hunter system has seen operational action in Macedonia/Kosovo, where one was reportedly lost to enemy fire within days of deployment. Though in limited use on today's advancing battlefield, the Hunter UAV was recently used to patrol America's southern border with Mexico in 2004.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the IAI / TRW RQ-5A Hunter Mutil-Role Short-Range Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.

2 x Moto-Guzzi 4 stroke, 2-cylinder pusher-puller gasoline engines of 64 horsepower each.
Propulsion

127 mph
204 kph | 110 kts
Max Speed

15,000 ft
4,572 m | 3 miles
Service Ceiling

162 miles
260 km | 140 nm
Operational Range

City-to-City Ranges
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the IAI / TRW RQ-5A Hunter Mutil-Role Short-Range Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.

2
(MANNED)
Crew

22.3 ft
6.80 m
O/A Length

28.9 ft
(8.80 m)
O/A Width

5.6 ft
(1.70 m)
O/A Height

1,603 lb
(727 kg)
MTOW

Design Balance
The three qualities reflected below are altitude, speed, and range. The more full the box, the more balanced the design.

RANGE

ALT

SPEED

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the IAI / TRW RQ-5 Hunter Mutil-Role Short-Range Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle .

Payload of up 200lbs consisting of observation, communications and countermeasures equipment.

1 x GBU-44/B "Viper Strike" munition (MQ-5A/B)

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the IAI / TRW RQ-5 Hunter family line.

Hunter - Original UAV Design

Extended Hunter - increased sized and capabilities over original Hunter design.

RQ-5A - US Military UAV Designation

B-Hunter - Belgium Hunter UAV produced by IAI; incorporated automatic landing and take-off (ATLND) system.

MQ-5A/B - Armed Version with Northrop Grumman GBU-44/B "Viper Strike" munition.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the IAI / TRW RQ-5 Hunter. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 13 Units
Contractor(s): TRW (Northrop Grumman) - USA / Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) - Israel

[ France; Belgium; Philippines; United States ]

Relative Max Speed

Hi: 150mph

Lo: 75mph

Aircraft Max Listed Speed (127mph).

Graph Average of 113 MPH.

Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Max Alt Visualization

Production Comparison

13

36183

44000

Entry compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian) total production.

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

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Aviation Timeline

EarlyYrs

WWI

Interwar

WWII

ColdWar

Postwar

Modern

Future

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❮ ❯

Mission Roles
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to airborne requirements.

RECONNAISSANCE

UNMANNED

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Going Further...
The IAI / TRW RQ-5 Hunter Mutil-Role Short-Range Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle appears in the following collections:

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