IAI RQ-5 Hunter

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)
Industry	Aerospace, defense
Headquarters	Israel Aerospace Industries headquarters location not specified, Israel
Products	Hunter UAV (RQ-5 Hunter)

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File:Hunter RQ-5 UAV.jpg

An RQ-5 Hunter displayed at the UAV section of the Hatzerim Israeli Air Force Museum

The IAI RQ-5 Hunter is an unmanned aerial vehicle initially designed to fulfill the role of the United States Army's Short Range UAV system, primarily for division and corps commanders. It operated with conventional runway takeoffs and landings using arresting gear. Equipped with a gimbaled EO/IR sensor, it transmitted live video feeds through a secondary airborne Hunter via a C-band line-of-sight data link. The design of the RQ-5 stems from the Hunter UAV developed by Israel Aerospace Industries.

Design and development

Acquisition efforts and training programs commenced in 1994; however, production was halted in 1996 due to concerns about program management. Seven low rate initial production (LRIP) batches, each comprising eight aircraft, were procured, with four remaining operational: one designated for training and three dedicated to doctrine development, exercises, and contingency missions. Although initially planned to be succeeded by the RQ-7 Shadow, the Army retained both platforms because the Hunter offered notably greater payload capacity, extended range, and longer time-on-station than the Shadow.

Operational history

File:MQ-5B Hunter.jpg

MQ-5B Hunter

In 1995, A Company of the 15th Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation) based at Fort Hood, Texas, became the first U.S. Army unit to deploy the Hunter UAV. This company completed several successful training rotations at the National Training Center. In March 1999, they were deployed to the Republic of Macedonia supporting NATO operations during the Kosovo conflict, where one unit was downed by a Yugoslav Mil Mi-8 helicopter using a side-mounted 7.62x54mmR machine gun. Throughout the 78-day NATO-led campaign, at least seven Hunters were lost. Over a seven-month period in Kosovo, Hunters accumulated more than 4,000 flight hours. The operational achievements in Kosovo prompted renewed production and enhancements to the system. Subsequently, the Hunter saw deployment in Iraq and other military engagements and was also equipped with the Viper Strike precision munitions.

The Army's Unmanned Aircraft Systems Training Battalion located at Fort Huachuca, AZ, provided instruction for both soldiers and civilians on operating and maintaining the Hunter UAV.

In 2004, under a pilot initiative, the United States Department of Homeland Security, specifically the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Office of Air and Marine, employed the Hunter for border surveillance missions. During this trial phase, the UAV logged 329 flight hours leading to 556 detections.

An armed variant outfitted with the Northrop Grumman GBU-44/B Viper Strike weapon system is designated as MQ-5A/B.

By October 2012, twenty MQ-5B Hunters remained active within the U.S. Army. Although retirement was anticipated by 2013, Northrop received a contract extension in January 2013 to continue support for the Hunter platform, prolonging its operational use into 2014.

On 7 October 2013, a new UAS facility was inaugurated by the U.S. Army at Vilseck Army Airfield in Germany. A bilateral agreement between the United States and Germany enabled the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command to utilize two 'air bridges' in eastern Germany for operator training purposes. This marked a milestone as it was the first occasion that a U.S. UAV operated beyond established military training zones. Two unarmed MQ-5B Hunters were exclusively employed to train drone operators.

Between 1996 and January 2014, the MQ-5B Hunter accumulated over 100,000 flight hours during its service with the U.S. Army.

On 14 March 2014, reports indicated that an RQ-5 was downed by Crimean self-defense forces over territory occupied by Russia in Ukraine; however, Russia did not provide evidence supporting this claim, and Pentagon officials denied any such operation over Crimea.

The final flight of the Hunter in U.S. Army service occurred on 16 December 2015 at Fort Hood. Since entering service in 1995, it had been deployed multiple times including four deployments to the Balkans between 1999 and 2002—totaling approximately 6,400 flight hours—and was notably the first Army unmanned system to operate in Iraq in 2003. There it demonstrated its value as an intelligence asset across all command levels while accumulating more flight hours than any other NATO reconnaissance platform. A distinctive feature of the Hunter was its relay capability enabling one aircraft to control another over extended distances or challenging terrain. By the conclusion of Operation New Dawn in 2011, Hunters had flown more than 110,000 hours in combat roles, underscoring their effectiveness on modern battlefields. While operators transitioned to larger platforms like the General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle, Hunters were reassigned to government-owned contractor-operated units supporting overseas missions.

International deployment

In 1998, the Belgian Air Component acquired three B-Hunter UAV packages, each comprising six drones and a pair of ground control stations. These systems became operational with the 80 UAV Squadron starting in 2004, and by 2020, thirteen units remained active. The final Hunter UAV was retired from Belgian service on 28 August 2020, succeeded by the MQ-9B SkyGuardian platform.

Operators

Specifications

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References

External links

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