Military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) fly at average speeds of 413km/h (256.6mph/Mach 0.3) in a fixed-wing design and fly at average speeds of 151.3km/h (94mph) in a rotorcraft design.
The speeds these aircraft can attain vary on several factors which we’ll be talking about below.
We’ll also look at a comparison between manned vs unmanned military fixed-wing and rotorcraft flight speeds, some of the different types of military UAVs, and some examples of the fastest military UAVs.
Check out our post where we dive into the different drone speeds for various types of drones:
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Manned vs Unmanned Military Aircraft Flight Speeds Comparison
Below we have separated the comparison depending on the design of the aircraft. These consist of the fixed-wing and rotorcraft designs.
Manned military fixed-wing aircraft most often use jet engines.
Manned military fixed-wing jets fly at average speeds of 981km/h (610mph/Mach 0.79) whereas military fixed-wing UAVs fly at average speeds of 413km/h (256.6mph/Mach 0.3).
Both manned and unmanned military rotorcraft consist of the single rotor helicopter and multi-rotor designs.
Manned military rotorcraft fly at average speeds of 297.7km/h (185mph) whereas unmanned military rotorcraft fly at average speeds of 151.3km/h (94mph).
Take note that hybrid VTOL aircraft that incorporate both the winged and bladed designs together have been excluded from the above averages.
Check out our post where we explain whether a drone is a robot, what a drone and a robot actually are, some types of robots, the difference between the two, and some examples of each:
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Types Of Military Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
Military UAVs can be classified in many different ways. They are most often labeled as HALE or MALE drones.
- Medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) – up to 9,000m (29,528ft)
- High-altitude long-endurance (HALE) – over 9,000m (29,528ft)
Below are more specific ways to categorize military UAVs besides just its altitude and an unspecified endurance.
We’ve categorized the different types of military UAVs into several sections.
Here are 4 ways to categorize military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs):
- DoD UAS classification system
- Range
- Design
- Function
Check out our full post to learn more on the different types of drones including the types according to design, payload, range, power source, and use cases including some examples of both consumer, commercial and military drones:
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Types of military UAVs according to altitude, speed and weight (DoD UAS classification system)
Here is the Department of Defense UAS ‘group’ system:
| Group | Maximum Weight (Kg/lbs) | Nominal Flight Altitude (m/ft) | Speed (kph/mph) |
| 1 | 0-9.1kg (0-20lbs) | Less than 366m AGL (<1,200ft AGL) | Up to 185.2km/h (115.1mph) |
| 2 | 9.5-25kg (21-55lbs) | Less than 1,067m AGL (<3,500ft AGL) | Less than 463km/h (<288mph) |
| 3 | Less than 599kg (<1,320lbs) | Less than 5486.4m MSL (<18,000ft MSL) | Less than 463km/h (<288mph) |
| 4 | More than 599.2kg (>1,321lbs) | Less than 5486.4m MSL (<18,000ft MSL) | Any speed |
| 5 | More than 599.2kg (>1,321lbs) | More than 5486.4m MSL (>18,000ft MSL) | Any speed |
AGL: Above ground level
MSL: Mean sea level
Take note that an aircraft that attains even a single feature in the next group up is considered to be part of that higher group.
Check out our full post that explains what the differences are between drones, UAVs, and UASs where we also dive into many of the various acronyms used to describe every type of drone:
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It’s actually possible to more accurately separate UAVs according to their respective weights.
- Very small UAVs – Nano+Micro
- Small UAVs – Mini
- Medium UAVs
- Large UAVs
Nano drones (Very small category) consist of UAVs that weigh up to 250g (up to 8.8oz) in general.
Micro drones (Very small category) consist of UAVs that weigh between 251g to 2kg (8.9oz to 4.4lbs).
Mini drones (Small category) consist of UAVs that weigh between 2.1-25kg (4.6-55.1lbs).
Medium drones consist of UAVs that weigh between 25.1-150kg (55.3-331lbs).
Large drones consist of UAVs that weigh over 151kg (over 333lbs).
We have a full post on drone sizing where we dive into the various sizes consumer, commercial, and military drones come in, whether the size of a drone matters, how to measure the frame size of a drone, and much more:
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Types of military UAVs according to range
Here are the types of military drones according to range:
- Close-range UAVs – Up to 50km
- Short-range UAVs – Between 51-160km
- Mid-range UAVs – Over 200km
- Long-range/Endurance UAVs – Indefinite range
If you’d like to learn all about consumer drones and how they differ from these military drones, we have a full post on this topic below:
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Types of military UAVs according to design
Here are the 4 primary types of UAVs according to design:
- Fixed-wing design
- Multi-rotor design
- Single rotor design
- Hybrid VTOL design
Other less common or rarely used designs include the unmanned glider and unmanned airship designs.
UAVs that use the fixed-wing design resemble traditional manned commercial aircraft as they have a set of wings. This is the most common design used by many military drones.
UAVs that use the multi-rotor design are drones with 3 or more propellers. These types of drones include tricopters (3 props), quadcopters (4 props), hexacopters (6 props), and octocopters (8 props).
UAVs that use the single rotor design resemble helicopters as they only have a single main rotor with a small tail rotor.
UAVs that use the hybrid VTOL design are drones that have combined both the fixed-wing and rotary-blade designs (both single and multi-rotor) into one aircraft.
Check out our detailed post where we dive into how VTOL drones work, the types of VTOL drones according to flight modes, designs, and propulsion methods, their costs, how much they weigh, their payload capacities, use cases, examples, and more:
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Types of military UAVs according to function
Military UAVs can be used for various applications.
Here are 6 types of military UAVs according to function:
- Intelligence
- Surveillance
- Reconnaissance
- Target aquisition
- Decoy
- Research and development
Check out our full post that dives into several applications for drones today:
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What Factors Impact Military UAV Flight Speeds?
Here are 5 factors that impact military UAV flight speeds:
- Design
- Size and weight
- Method of propulsion
- Weather conditions
- Operating altitude
The UAV’s design is one of the primary factors that determine how fast an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can fly.
Fixed-wing UAVs typically can fly much faster, further, and longer than military unmanned aerial rotorcraft as they only need to propel themselves horizontally. Their wings generate lift for the aircraft.
Rotorcraft not only have to generate lift, but also have to provide a means of generating horizontal propulsion in whichever direction is required.
This process is very demanding in terms of power consumption and is not as efficient as aircraft that use wing configurations.
Furthermore, drones that use propellers need them to be properly configured depending on several factors.
We highly recommend you check out our full detailed post on drone propellers including the different types, how they work, their different sizes and pitch, their materials, how to choose them, and much more.
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Size and weight can have a big impact on a UAVs maximum flight speed.
A UAV with a small size can affect the level of technology that’s capable of being installed in the UAV.
This can directly impact things such as the drone’s range, speed, stability, and maneuverability.
A heavy drone can greatly reduce its flight speed as it will need to burn through more energy to achieve its target speed and due to things such as wind resistance, it may never achieve certain speeds.
The method of propulsion refers to the device the UAV uses to generate thrust (referred to as powerplant).
Drones with inefficient and ineffective power sources cannot reach high speeds as they may run out of power too quickly or their power output may be too small limiting the maximum attainable speed.
Military UAVs most often use engines to propel themselves. However, motors paired with a combination of propellers, batteries, or fuel cells have also been used.
Engines in general have higher power outputs than most other powerplants used in UAVs. This is one of many reason why they are so commonly used in military UAVs.
Check out our full post where we dive into several power sources currently used in drones. For each power source, we expand on how they work, the different types, the advantages, disadvantages, and real-world examples of drones that use it.
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The weather conditions during the UAV’s flight are a very important factor to pay close attention to. Heavy winds, rain, and snowfall can disrupt the aircraft and its systems causing a malfunction.
All robots are electronic systems that are susceptible to various degrees of exposure to high or low temperatures, and water.
Some have been built to withstand a lot more than others, but all have a limit.
Our final factor is the UAV’s operating altitude. Air is thinner the higher a drone flies.
Therefore there is less air resistance enabling it to fly much faster for much longer as less fuel is consumed.
There is of course less oxygen available the higher you fly which is not a problem for unmanned systems that fly at such altitudes!
Check out our post where we dive into the operating altitudes military UAVs can attain. We also dive into the factors that impact this maximum achievable altitude, and some examples of UAVs and their flight altitudes.
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What Are The Fastest Military UAVs?
Here are 7 of the fastest military UAVs:
| Name | Manufacturer | Design | Speed | Operating Altitude |
| X-43A (Hyper-X) | NASA | Fixed-wing (Lifting Body) | 11,265km/h (7,000mph)/Mach 9.8 | 33,500m (110,000ft) |
| X-51 Waverider | Boeing | Fixed-wing (Lifting Body) | 6,200km/h (3,900mph)/Mach 5.1 | 21,336m (70,000ft) |
| QF-16 | Boeing/ U.S. Air Force (USAF) | Fixed-wing (Conventional Wing) | 2,470km/h (1,534mph)/Mach 2.05 | 18,000m (60,000ft) |
| Taranis | BAE Systems | Fixed-wing (Blended Body) | 1,235km/h (767mph)/Mach 1+ | 11,500m (37,730ft) |
| X-47B | Northrop Grumman | Fixed-wing (Flying Wing) | 1111.32km/h (690.5mph)/Mach 0.9+ | 12,800m (42,000ft) |
| XQ-58 Valkyrie | Kratos Defense & Security Solutions | Fixed-wing (Conventional Wing) | 1,050km/h (652mph)/Mach 0.85 | 13,715m (44,997ft) |
| Barracuda | EADS (Airbus) | Fixed-wing (Conventional Wing) | 1,041km/h (647mph)/Mach 0.85 | ~6,096m (20,000ft) |
If you’d like to discover more about who the best drone companies are in the world for the consumer, commercial and military drone markets and some fun facts about them, we have a full post on this topic below:
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How Slow Can Military UAVs Fly?
Military fixed-wing UAVs can typically fly as slow as 40km/h (24.9mph) while still staying in the air. Military rotorcraft can hover in place. The minimal speed will primarily depend on the size of the aircraft.
Take note that UAVs with hybrid vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) designs that have a combination of rotors and wings are the exception as they can stay stationary and achieve similar speeds as fixed-wing UAVs.
Check out our detailed post where we dive into how VTOL drones work, the types of VTOL drones according to flight modes, designs, and propulsion methods, their costs, how much they weigh, their payload capacities, use cases, examples, and more:
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Conclusion
The military definitely has some of the most advanced, and subsequently the most expensive unmanned systems ever built.
These aircraft will continue to evolve rapidly and will continue to impress and challenge what we believe the limit of these unmanned aircraft are.
Unmanned systems have now become nearly impossible to differentiate from manned systems in speed, size, altitude, and just about every other feature there is to these machines (except for the lack of a cockpit in drones of course).
