General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian vs Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk
Full specs: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian and Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk are both uav / drone, compared here on public specifications. The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk leads on range (22,780 vs 6,000 km).
Compare systems side by side
Search above to add up to five systems. You’ll get a per-spec winner, relative bars, a normalized spec profile and an honest verdict, every number from public sources.
Building a fleet? Try the Force Builder →
Full data
Full spec sheet
| Performance | ||
| Max speed (km/h) | 390 km/h | 629 km/h ✓ |
| Cruise speed (km/h) | 313 km/h | 575 km/h ✓ |
| Range (km) | 6,000 km | 22,780 km ✓ |
| Service ceiling (m) | 12,200 m | 18,288 m ✓ |
| Endurance (h) | 40 h ✓ | 34 h |
| Firepower | ||
| Hardpoints | 9 ✓ | 0 |
| Weapons payload (kg) | 2,155 kg ✓ | 0 kg |
| Physical | ||
| Length (m) | 11.7 m | 14.5 m |
| Empty weight (kg) | 2,223 kg | 6,781 kg |
| Combat weight (kg) | 5,670 kg | 14,628 kg |
| Crew | 0 | 0 |
| Propulsion | ||
| Thrust (kN) | N/A | 34 kN |
| Program | ||
| Unit cost (USD) | $25,000,000 ✓ | $140,000,000 |
| Units built | 60 ✓ | 45 |
| Operator countries | 6 ✓ | 3 |
Frequently asked questions
Which is faster, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian and Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk? +
The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is the fastest of the 2 compared here, at 629 km/h.
Which has the longer range? +
The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk has the longest range at 22,780 km.
Which carries the larger weapons payload? +
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian carries the largest weapons payload at 2,155 kg.
Which is cheaper? +
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian has the lower public unit-cost figure at 25,000,000 USD. Treat this as directional, defense pricing varies by contract and configuration.
Which has the higher endurance? +
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian has the higher endurance at 40 h.
Which has the higher hardpoints? +
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian has the higher hardpoints at 9.
Is the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian better than the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk? +
On the public specs we track, the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian leads on 4 of 6 headline metrics, see the full spec sheet for the metric-by-metric breakdown.
Where does this comparison data come from? +
Every figure in the table is sourced from public manufacturer pages, defense-ministry releases and reference publications, and is verifiable on each system's spec page. WeaponSpecs does not accept vendor placement.
Keep exploring
