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United States General Atomics Aeronautical Systems
MQ-9B SkyGuardian
An export-focused, certifiable derivative of the MQ-9 Reaper built to fly in civil airspace under NATO airworthiness standards, with a maritime variant called SeaGuardian. Operated by the UK (Protector RG1), Belgium, Japan, Australia and India among others.
In service since 2016 · 6 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
390
km/h
6,000
km range
12,200
m ceiling
2,155
kg payload
💲 ≈ $25,000,000, Publicly cited export unit cost estimate
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Established · 6 operators
In service since 2016. Status: active · ~60 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$63M – $88M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~20 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Compatible munitions & weapons
Publicly reported weapons the MQ-9B SkyGuardian can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 390 km/h Stronger than 77% of UAVs
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 313 km/h Top 10% of UAVs
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 6,000 km Top 10% of UAVs
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 12,200 m Stronger than 83% of UAVs
- Endurance
Time on station. Critical for UAVs and patrol platforms, higher means longer persistent coverage.
- 40 h Top 9% of UAVs
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 9 Stronger than 89% of UAVs
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 2,155 kg Top 9% of UAVs
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 11.7 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 24 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 2,223 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 5,670 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 0
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- Honeywell TPE331-10 turboprop
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turboprop, pusher propeller
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- Raytheon MTS-B multi-spectral targeting system, Lynx synthetic aperture radar
- Datalink
Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement.
- LOS datalink, SATCOM, Detect-and-avoid radar for civil airspace
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $25,000,000 Stronger than 26% of UAVs
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 60 Stronger than 24% of UAVs
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 6 Stronger than 72% of UAVs
Specifications compiled from public General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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Baykar Bayraktar Akinci Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian? +
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian has a maximum speed of 390 km/h.
What is the range of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian? +
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian has a maximum range of 6,000 km.
What is the weapons payload of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian? +
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian can carry up to 2,155 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian weigh? +
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian has a combat weight of 5,670 kg.
How many crew does the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian require? +
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian requires a crew of 0.
What engine does the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian use? +
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian is powered by the Honeywell TPE331-10 turboprop.
What is the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian used for? +
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian is a uav / drone typically used for isr, close air support, anti armor.
How many countries operate the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian? +
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian is operated by 6 countries.
How much does the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian cost? +
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian has an approximate unit cost of 25,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
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