UAV · Small UAV
Insitu ScanEagle
Insitu (Boeing) · United States
Small long-endurance catapult-launched ISR UAV (MQ-27) widely used by maritime and land forces; recovered with the SkyHook system for runway-independent ops.
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Subcategory | Fixed-wing |
| Price | ~$3.2M per system (2006; ~4 air vehicles + GCS + launcher/recovery) |
| Subtype | Small UAV |
| Role | Maritime and land ISR |
| Class | Group 2 small UAS |
| Classification | Group 2 (5-25 kg) |
| Mission | ISR |
| Variants | ScanEagle; ScanEagle 2; MQ-27 |
| Notable partners | Boeing; Insitu |
| MTOW (kg) | 22 |
| Operators | United States, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, others |
| Frame type | Fixed-wing |
| Length (m) | 1.55 |
| Propulsion | Piston |
| Wingspan (m) | 3.1 |
| Combat-proven | Yes |
| Export status | Widely exported |
| Launch method | Pneumatic catapult |
| Autonomy level | Autonomous waypoint nav |
| Endurance (min) | 1080 |
| Recovery method | SkyHook |
| Year introduced | 2004 |
| Max payload (kg) | 5 |
| Max speed (km/h) | 148 |
| Standard sensors | EO/IR camera gimbal |
| Production status | In production |
| Notable engagements | Surpassed 10,000 combat flight hours by early 2006; supplied to Ukraine |
| Service ceiling (m) | 5950 |
| Conflicts deployed in | Iraq, Afghanistan, Russo-Ukrainian War |
| Airframe / lift type | Fixed-wing |
| Control / autonomy level | Waypoint / GPS-guided |
| Domain | Aerial (UAV/UAS) |
| Mission / use case – military | ISR |
| Origin / supply chain | Military-grade |
| Propulsion | ICE – petrol |
| Range / endurance | Short range (50–150 km) |
| Signature / detectability | GNSS-dependent, RCS – small |
| Speed regime | Medium (50–150 km/h) |
| Threat vector | Surveillance / reconnaissance |
| Weight / class | Class I – Small (20–150 kg), FAA <25 kg (Part 107) |
Review-stage catalogue data — specs corroborated from manufacturer and secondary sources; not for procurement decisions. Source: www.insitu.com/products/scaneagle