General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger

Lore & Background

The Avenger first flew on 4 April 2009 at General Atomics' Grey Butte Field Airport Flight Operations Facility in Palmdale, California. A second prototype, featuring a four-foot longer fuselage for larger payloads and more fuel, first flew on 12 January 2012. In July 2013, a third Avenger was scheduled to begin flight testing, and assembly of a fourth was expected by spring 2014. An extended-range variant with wings extended by 3.2 meters flew on 27 October 2016, adding about 1000 kg of fuel and extending endurance from 15 to 20 hours while reducing internal payload to 3000 lb.

The Avenger supports the same weapons as the MQ-9 and carries the Lynx synthetic aperture radar and a version of the F-35 Lightning II's electro-optical targeting system, called the Advanced Low-observable Embedded Reconnaissance Targeting (ALERT) system. It uses the same ground support infrastructure as the MQ-1 and MQ-9. The Avenger can also carry and deploy other unmanned systems. On 28 November 2023, an Avenger test deployed the Advanced Air-Launched Effects small uncrewed aerial system from its internal weapons bay over Dugway Proving Ground, Utah.

In December 2011, it was reported that the Air Force had ordered an Avenger for deployment to Afghanistan, but the Air Force later clarified it was purchased only as a test asset and was not sent there. After testing, the Air Force decided the Avenger offered only modest improvements over the MQ-9 and did not meet survivability and reliability requirements for contested environments. Following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, General Atomics pitched the Avenger to the Central Intelligence Agency as a better drone for missions requiring longer distances.

Reader's Guide

The MQ-20 Avenger represents a significant step in unmanned combat aerial vehicle development, introducing jet propulsion and stealth features to a lineage that began with the propeller-driven MQ-1 Predator. Its design, including internal weapons storage and reduced radar and infrared signatures, aimed to provide a more survivable platform for contested environments. However, the U.S. Air Force's evaluation found only modest improvements over the MQ-9 Reaper in speed, payload, and reduced signature, and deemed it insufficiently survivable for contested operations, leading to no procurement for operational use. The Avenger's development also intersected with canceled programs: the Air Force's MQ-X replacement for the MQ-9 and the Navy's Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program, for which a carrier-based Sea Avenger variant was proposed. Despite limited U.S. military adoption, the Avenger attracted international interest, with India expressing intent to purchase up to 100 units and Canada considering it for its armed UAV project before ultimately selecting the MQ-9B. The aircraft's ability to carry and deploy smaller unmanned systems, demonstrated in a 2023 test, highlights its role as a potential mothership for collaborative combat operations.

Did You Know?

• The Avenger's first flight was on 4 April 2009 at Palmdale, California.
• It can carry and deploy other unmanned systems from its internal weapons bay.
• The extended-range variant has wings extended by 3.2 meters, increasing endurance to 20 hours.
• On 28 November 2023, an Avenger test deployed an Advanced Air-Launched Effects small UAS.