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United States Northrop Grumman
RQ-4 Global Hawk
A high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned reconnaissance aircraft providing wide-area, near-real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance for US and allied forces. It flies missions comparable in altitude and range to manned strategic reconnaissance aircraft, but without a pilot aboard.
In service since 2001 · 3 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-01
629
km/h
22,780
km range
18,288
m ceiling
0
kg payload
💲 ≈ $140,000,000, Unit cost estimates for current production blocks generally range from $130 to 220 million depending on sensor package and block configuration, consistent with historical GAO Selected Acquisition Report figures showing average procurement unit costs between roughly $88 and $223 million across program blocks.
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 · 3 operators
In service since 2001. Status: active · ~45 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$350M – $490M
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.
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. | 629 km/h |
|---|---|
| Cruise speed Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station. | 575 km/h |
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 22,780 km |
| Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon. | 18,288 m |
| Endurance Time on station. Critical for UAVs and patrol platforms, higher means longer persistent coverage. | 34 h |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Hardpoints External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts. | 0 |
|---|---|
| Weapons payload Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie. | 0 kg |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 14.5 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span. | 39.9 m |
| Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew. | 6,781 kg |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 14,628 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. | Rolls-Royce AE 3007H turbofan |
|---|---|
| Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost. | 1 |
| Thrust Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable). | 34 kN |
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Turbofan |
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights. | AN/ZPY-2 MP-RTIP AESA radar, electro-optical/infrared sensor, signals intelligence payload |
|---|---|
| Datalink Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement. | Ku-band SATCOM, UHF SATCOM, LOS datalink |
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. | $140,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 45 |
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 3 |
Specifications compiled from public Northrop Grumman and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-01.
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RQ-4 Global Hawk vs
CH-5 (Caihong-5) Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk? +
The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk has a maximum speed of 629 km/h.
What is the range of the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk? +
The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk has a maximum range of 22,780 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk? +
The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk can carry up to 0 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk weigh? +
The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk has a combat weight of 14,628 kg.
How many crew does the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk require? +
The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk requires a crew of 0.
What engine does the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk use? +
The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is powered by the Rolls-Royce AE 3007H turbofan.
What is the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk used for? +
The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is a uav / drone typically used for isr.
How many countries operate the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk? +
The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is operated by 3 countries.
How much does the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk cost? +
The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk has an approximate unit cost of 140,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
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