Honeywell RQ-16 T-Hawk

Lore & Background

The Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) program was launched by DARPA. After a $40 million technology demonstration contract to Honeywell in 2003, the project was transferred to the U.S. Army's Future Combat System (FCS) program for the Class I platoon-level drone. In May 2006, Honeywell received a $61 million contract for an advanced MAV with extended endurance and a heavy-fuel engine. In 2007, the U.S. Navy awarded a $7.5 million contract for 20 G-MAVs (gasoline engine) for deployment to Iraq with the Multi-Service Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group. The hovering feature proved critical for searching roadside bombs and inspecting suspicious targets from close range.

The Iraq trials led to a surprise U.S. Navy order in January 2008 for 372 MAVs, designated RQ-16A T-Hawk, for EOD teams. Each of the 186 systems included two air vehicles and one ground station. In January 2009, the United Kingdom ordered five complete T-Hawk systems for delivery by 2010. In April 2010, Honeywell demonstrated the T-Hawk at the Counter Terrorism and Jungle Warfare College in Kanker, Chhattisgarh, leading to planned user trials by Indian security forces.

Designated XM156 (Class I) by the U.S. Army, the aircraft was intended for reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, and laser designation. Total system weight was less than 51 lb and packable in two custom MOLLE-type carriers. It operated in open, rolling, complex, and urban terrains with VTOL capability, providing hover and stare capability not available in the Army UAV inventory. The Class I system entered evaluation at the Army Evaluation Task Force and was to be fielded to infantry brigade combat teams starting in 2011, but the Army issued a stop-work order on January 6, 2011, with formal termination on February 3, 2011. Its role went to the Puma AE. Despite cancellation, RQ-16s continued field use in Afghanistan. On September 19, 2012, Honeywell received a support contract for the RQ-16B Block II T-Hawk. As of October 25, 2013, the British Army had 18 T-Hawks in service as part of its Talisman counter-IED suite.

Reader's Guide

The RQ-16 T-Hawk's significance lies in its pioneering role as a backpackable VTOL miniature UAV that filled a specific niche for dismounted soldiers and EOD teams. Its ducted fan design allowed hover and stare capability in urban and complex terrain, a feature absent from the Army's existing UAV inventory. The aircraft's successful deployment in Iraq for roadside bomb detection demonstrated the tactical value of close-range aerial inspection without risking personnel. The surprise Navy order for 372 units underscored the operational demand. Its use at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear disaster in April 2011—where radiation levels made human entry impossible—highlighted the platform's utility in hazardous civilian environments, providing critical imagery of damaged reactor buildings and spent fuel pools. Although the U.S. Army's Class I program was terminated in early 2011, the T-Hawk continued in service with U.S. forces in Afghanistan and with the British Army's Talisman counter-IED suite. The platform's legacy includes influencing later small VTOL UAV designs and demonstrating that miniature ducted fan aircraft could perform missions previously reserved for larger systems or ground robots.

Did You Know?

• The T-Hawk is named after the Tarantula hawk, a species of wasp.
• A T-Hawk was used in April 2011 to survey the damaged Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power station.
• The U.S. Navy ordered 372 RQ-16A T-Hawks in January 2008 for explosive ordnance disposal teams.
• The British Army operated 18 T-Hawks as part of its Talisman counter-IED suite as of October 2013.

Note on Source Material

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