VECTORDEFENCE DRONE
INTELLIGENCE
INDEPENDENT PERSPECTIVE
THE EVOLVING FIELD GUIDE
Editor

DEFENCE DRONES / THE LIBRARY

Compare the evidence.

Choose up to three systems. Specifications retain their source and configuration; missing information is left undisclosed.

MQ-1C Gray Eagle

A US Army remotely piloted aircraft family for reconnaissance, communications relay and armed missions. The original Gray Eagle, ER and 25M configurations have different specifications.

Country / region
United States
Programme status
Use documented
Sources reviewed
20 Sept 2026
In service / use documentedUse documented
Primary domain
Air
System type
Multirole aircraft
Developer / manufacturer
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems
Origin / production countries
United States
Other names
No additional names recorded
Variants / configurations
Gray Eagle baseline; Gray Eagle ER; Gray Eagle 25M
Operators / programme customers
US Army

Evidence & current status

The cited public record documents military use or operator acceptance. Specifications still depend on the particular production version and mission configuration.

Role & capabilities

  • Multirole aircraft
  • Automatic runway take-off and landing
  • EO/IR and SAR/GMTI radar options

Specifications in context

Airframe
Fixed-wing remotely piloted aircraft

Published supplier specification; configuration and conditions affect performance.

Source ↗
Launch / recovery
Automatic runway take-off and landing

Published supplier specification; configuration and conditions affect performance.

Source ↗
Propulsion
165 hp heavy-fuel piston engine

Published supplier specification; configuration and conditions affect performance.

Source ↗
Dimensions
17 m span; 9 m length

Published supplier specification; configuration and conditions affect performance.

Source ↗
Mass
1,633 kg maximum take-off mass

Published supplier specification; configuration and conditions affect performance.

Source ↗
Endurance
25 h (original Gray Eagle)

Published supplier specification; configuration and conditions affect performance.

Source ↗
Range
Not established from the reviewed sources.

Public data gap; no estimate substituted. Follow the source for subsequent releases.

Source ↗
Speed
167 KTAS maximum

Published supplier specification; configuration and conditions affect performance.

Source ↗
Altitude
29,000 ft

Published supplier specification; configuration and conditions affect performance.

Source ↗
Payload
488 kg combined internal/external payload

Published supplier specification; configuration and conditions affect performance.

Source ↗
Sensors
EO/IR and SAR/GMTI radar options

Published supplier specification; configuration and conditions affect performance.

Source ↗
Communications / navigation
Line-of-sight and satellite links; communications-relay role

Published supplier specification; configuration and conditions affect performance.

Source ↗