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United States General Atomics Aeronautical Systems
MQ-1C Gray Eagle
The US Army's dedicated medium-altitude long-endurance armed reconnaissance drone, derived from the Predator airframe with a heavier fuel load and four hardpoints. Provides corps-level ISR and strike support organic to Army aviation brigades.
In service since 2009 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
280
km/h
400
km range
8,800
m ceiling
488
kg payload
💲 ≈ $17,000,000, Publicly cited program 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
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2009. Status: active · ~200 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$43M – $60M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~20 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price. How we estimate this →
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-1C Gray Eagle 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. | 280 km/h |
|---|---|
| Cruise speed Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station. | 230 km/h |
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 400 km |
| Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon. | 8,800 m |
| Endurance Time on station. Critical for UAVs and patrol platforms, higher means longer persistent coverage. | 25 h |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Hardpoints External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts. | 4 |
|---|---|
| Weapons payload Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie. | 488 kg |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 9 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span. | 17 m |
| Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew. | 1,633 kg |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 1,633 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. | Thielert Centurion 4.0 heavy-fuel piston engine |
|---|---|
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Piston, pusher propeller |
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights. | AN/AAS-53 Common Sensor Payload, Synthetic aperture radar/GMTI |
|---|---|
| Datalink Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement. | LOS datalink, SATCOM |
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. | $17,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 200 |
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 1 |
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.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
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MQ-1C Gray Eagle vs
CH-5 (Caihong-5) Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1C Gray Eagle? +
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1C Gray Eagle has a maximum speed of 280 km/h.
What is the range of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1C Gray Eagle? +
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1C Gray Eagle has a maximum range of 400 km.
What is the weapons payload of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1C Gray Eagle? +
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1C Gray Eagle can carry up to 488 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1C Gray Eagle weigh? +
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1C Gray Eagle has a combat weight of 1,633 kg.
How many crew does the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1C Gray Eagle require? +
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1C Gray Eagle requires a crew of 0.
What engine does the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1C Gray Eagle use? +
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1C Gray Eagle is powered by the Thielert Centurion 4.0 heavy-fuel piston engine.
What is the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1C Gray Eagle used for? +
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1C Gray Eagle is a uav / drone typically used for isr, close air support, anti armor.
How many countries operate the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1C Gray Eagle? +
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1C Gray Eagle is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1C Gray Eagle cost? +
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1C Gray Eagle has an approximate unit cost of 17,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
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