RQ-11 Raven

The Raven RQ-11B UAS is manufactured by AeroVironment. It was the winner of the US Army's SUAV program in 2005 and entered Full-Rate Production (FRP) in 2006. Shortly afterward, it was also adopted by the US Marines and the US Air Force for their ongoing FPASS Program. Originally introduced as the FQM-151 in 1999, it evolved into its current RQ-11 form by 2002, taking on a design reminiscent of an enlarged FAI class F1C free flight model aircraft. To date, more than 19,000 Raven airframes have been delivered to customers worldwide.

Weighing approximately 1.9 kg, it is launched by hand and can be remotely controlled from a ground station or execute autonomous missions using GPS waypoint navigation. The Raven can be directed to return to its launch point with a single command, and it lands autonomously by auto-piloting to a predefined landing point, executing a controlled descent at a 45° slope.

Standard mission payloads include CCD color video cameras and an infrared night vision camera, providing day and night aerial intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance capabilities. In August 2015, selected units began receiving upgrades to their Raven sensors. The Raven Gimbal, a rotating camera with a 360-degree gimbal, replaced the fixed camera, eliminating the need to maneuver the entire aircraft for observation. This new camera could be switched between day and night settings without requiring a landing to swap sensors. Furthermore, in mid-2015, the U.S. Marine Corps tested Harris Corporation's Small Secure Data Link (SSDL), a radio device that fits onto a Raven's nose to provide beyond line-of-sight communications. Solar panels have also been integrated into the wing sections to augment the battery power system, increasing endurance by 60%.

The RQ-11 Raven has seen widespread operational use across various theaters, serving with the United States Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Special Operations Command. It was used by British forces in Iraq. The Royal Danish Army deployed the Raven in Afghanistan, as depicted in the 2010 documentary "Armadillo." The Netherlands Armed Forces utilized the Raven for reconnaissance and loaned it to the police for combating burglary. The U.S. supplied Raven systems to the Pakistan Army and to forces in Uganda and Burundi for peacekeeping missions in Somalia. Its vulnerability to jamming and hacking due to its analog control system was criticized by Ukrainian operators. Iran has claimed the capture and decoding of data from two RQ-11s. By early 2012, over 19,000 airframes had been shipped. In January 2023, the U.S. Marine Corps retired the RQ-11B Raven SUAS.

Main Variants:

• RQ-11A Raven A: The original version of the Raven, which is no longer in production.

• RQ-11B Raven B: An improved variant of the RQ-11A.

• CU-173 Raven B: A version of the RQ-11B specifically designed for the Canadian Armed Forces.

• Solar Raven: A modified Raven platform with integrated flexible solar panels to augment the battery power system, increasing endurance by 60%.

Belgium • Bulgaria • Canada • Colombia • Costa Rica • Czech Republic • Spain • Estonia • United Kingdom • Hungary • Iraq • Italy • Kenya • Lebanon • Lithuania • Luxembourg • North Macedonia • Netherlands • Norway • Pakistan • Philippines • Portugal • Romania • Saudi Arabia • Slovakia • Thailand • Uganda • Ukraine • United States • Uzbekistan • Yemen