RTX will improve the reconnaissance capabilities of the MQ-1C Gray Eagle multi-purpose drone

The US Army intends to improve the intelligence capabilities of the MQ-1C Gray Eagle multi-purpose unmanned aerial vehicle. RTX (formerly Raytheon) will help with this.

Here's What We Know

The US Army has earmarked $118 million for the Common Sensor Payload Version 3 (CSP v3) sensor suite. It is noted, however, that RTX will deliver sensors with "several improvements" over the previous version. The MQ-1C Gray Eagle will get an improved infrared camera that will capture higher resolution images in low-light conditions.

The drone is based on the MQ-1 Predator. The M symbol means the drone is multi-purpose, i.e. it can be used for both reconnaissance and enemy strikes. It is capable of firing AIM-92 Stinger and AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and dropping Viper Strike bombs.

The MQ-1C Gray Eagle is 8 meters long and has a wingspan of 17 meters. Its maximum takeoff weight is almost 1.5 tons. A Thielert Centurion 1.7 engine rated at nearly 100 kW provides a speed of up to 250 km/h.

The drone can conduct reconnaissance, climbing to an altitude of nearly 9 km. The flight time is 30 hours. As of 2022, General Atomics has produced more than 200 drones. The cost of the MQ-1C Gray Eagle programme is $1 billion.

Source: c4isrnet