MQ-20 Avenger

The General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger, formerly designated Predator C, is a turbofan-powered unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) developed from the MQ-9 Reaper. The aircraft conducted its first flight on April 4, 2009, at Grey Butte Field Airport in Palmdale, California. As of 2023, nine aircraft have been produced.

The Avenger is powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545B turbofan engine producing 3,991 lbf of thrust. The airframe incorporates stealth features including an S-shaped exhaust to reduce infrared and radar signatures. It has a 20-meter wingspan with a 17-degree sweep and a maximum takeoff weight of 18,200 lb. Avionics include the Lynx synthetic aperture radar and the Advanced Low-observable Embedded Reconnaissance Targeting (ALERT) system, which is a version of the F-35 Lightning II's electro-optical targeting system (EOTS). The aircraft utilizes the same ground support infrastructure as the MQ-1 and MQ-9, including existing communications networks and ground control stations (GCS).

Payload capacity totals 6,500 lb (2,900 kg), distributed between an internal weapons bay and six external wing hardpoints. The internal bay has a 3,500 lb capacity. Armament includes AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and a range of guided bombs: the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB), GBU-12 and GBU-38 (500 lb), GBU-16 and GBU-32 (1,000 lb), and the GBU-31 JDAM (2,000 lb). The aircraft can also carry the Legion IRST pod and deploy Advanced Air-Launched Effects (A2LE) small uncrewed aerial systems from its internal bay.

The U.S. Air Force initially ordered one Avenger prototype as a test asset in 2011. Testing conducted in 2012 utilized a second prototype with a fuselage extended by four feet to accommodate larger payloads and fuel. Although evaluated by the Air Force, the service determined the aircraft did not meet the specific survivability requirements for contested environments and canceled the MQ-X program. The aircraft has completed over 13,000 flight hours as of October 2016. International interest includes a request from the Indian Air Force for 100 units. Canada also qualified General Atomics as a supplier for its JUSTAS program, though it ultimately selected the MQ-9B in 2023.

Main Variants

• MQ-20: The standard U.S. military designation for the baseline Avenger aircraft.
• Sea Avenger: A proposed carrier-based derivative featuring folding wings, a tailhook, and structural reinforcements for catapult launches and arrested recoveries.
• Avenger ER: An extended-range version with a 23.2-meter wingspan and a fuel capacity of 4,600 kg, providing up to 23.4 hours of endurance.

Missiles payload:

• Air-to-Ground AGM-114 Hellfire

Bombs payload:

• Guided Bomb GBU-39 SDB
• Guided Bomb GBU-12 Paveway II
• Guided Bomb GBU-38 JDAM
• Guided Bomb GBU-16 Paveway II
• Guided Bomb GBU-32 JDAM
• Guided Bomb GBU-31 JDAM