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RQ-16 T-Hawk

Honeywell · VTOL Ducted Fan / Tactical ISR / EOD support · USA · Modern (1992–2009)

The Honeywell RQ-16 T-Hawk — also marketed as the MAV (Micro Air Vehicle) — is an American ducted-fan VTOL unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Honeywell Aerospace. It entered limited U.S. military service in 2007 with the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams, and civilian agencies for short-range reconnaissance. The T-Hawk remains one of the few ducted-fan UAVs to see frontline service with the U.S. military.

The airframe measures 14 inches (36 cm) across the duct, with an empty weight of 17 lb (7.7 kg) and a maximum take-off weight of 20 lb. A single Honeywell heavy-fuel piston engine drives the ducted fan, giving a top speed of 50 mph, typical endurance of 50 minutes, and range beyond 6 miles. Service ceiling is 10,000 ft. The aircraft folds into a backpack and can be assembled in seconds by a single operator. Standard sensors comprise daylight and infrared cameras streaming live video to a portable ground control station.

Forward-unit reconnaissance was the T-Hawk's primary role — giving small infantry, Marine Corps, and EOD teams an organic short-range surveillance asset that needed no runway or launcher. The operator unfolds the aircraft from its backpack, launches vertically from any flat surface, flies the mission via portable ground station and helmet-mounted display, and recovers by VTOL landing. Because the aircraft hovers and lands vertically, crews can operate it from urban, confined, or vegetated terrain that defeats conventional fixed-wing UAVs.

Service deployments ran from 2007 through 2014. The U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps fielded the T-Hawk during Operation Iraqi Freedom (2007-2011) and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan (2007-2014), and U.S. Navy EOD teams used it for ordnance-disposal surveillance. Civilian uses included urban surveillance for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and law enforcement, plus hurricane and flood damage assessment for FEMA. Total production reached roughly 200-300 airframes before Honeywell Aerospace wound the line down around 2014. Military fleets were progressively retired as the AeroVironment Wasp, Raven, and Puma family matured. The T-Hawk was one of several small UAVs that competed in the late-2000s and early-2010s market — a contest the AeroVironment fixed-wing family ultimately won.

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The Honeywell RQ-16 T-Hawk is a small American military drone with an unusual design. Instead of wings or rotor blades, it uses a single ducted fan (like a tube with a propeller inside) for both lift and forward motion. The T-Hawk can hover like a helicopter, fly forward like an airplane, and even peek through windows.

The T-Hawk is small: 14 inches wide, lighter than a small dog. A small gasoline engine drives the ducted fan, making it more powerful than battery-powered drones of similar size. Top speed is 50 mph, faster than most bicycles. It can fly for 40 minutes on a tank of gas.

The T-Hawk carries two cameras (color and infrared) to send live video to its operator. The U.S. Army used T-Hawks to look for hidden bombs (IEDs) in Iraq and Afghanistan. The drone could fly down city streets, peek into ditches, and even hover near windows to see inside, all without endangering soldiers.

About 600 T-Hawks were bought by the U.S. military starting in 2007. The Japanese government used T-Hawks at the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in 2011, to check radiation levels in places too dangerous for people. T-Hawks have been retired from American service but remain in use with police and some foreign militaries.

Fun Facts

The T-Hawk uses a single ducted fan in the middle, not wings or rotor blades.
The drone is 14 inches wide, smaller than a small dog.
Top speed is 50 mph, faster than most bicycles.
Japan used T-Hawks at the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in 2011.
About 600 T-Hawks were bought by the American military since 2007.
T-Hawks can hover and even peek through windows like a flying spy camera.
A small gasoline engine drives the fan for 40 minutes of flight time.

Kids’ Questions

What is a ducted fan?

A ducted fan is a propeller inside a tube. The tube (called the duct) makes the propeller more efficient and protects people and objects from being hit by the spinning blades. The T-Hawk's whole body is built around one big ducted fan. Tilting the duct in different directions makes the drone go up, down, sideways, or forward.

How does it hover?

The ducted fan blows air straight down to lift the T-Hawk like a small helicopter. Small flaps under the fan can move air to any side, letting the drone tilt or move horizontally. The operator's controls work much like a video-game joystick, moving the drone in three dimensions while it floats in place.

Why was it retired?

The T-Hawk was used in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. When American forces left those countries, the need for the T-Hawk decreased. Newer drones like the AeroVironment Switchblade and small quadcopters do similar jobs more cheaply. Police and some foreign militaries still use T-Hawks today.

Variants

RQ-16A T-Hawk (initial): Original 2007 production variant; 150-200 delivered. Used by the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps for forward-unit reconnaissance from 2007 to 2014.
RQ-16B (improved): Upgraded variant with improved sensors, refined flight-control system, and an expanded mission set. Built in limited numbers and operated primarily by U.S. Navy EOD teams.
Honeywell MAV (commercial): Honeywell's civilian-market version, fielded by U.S. law enforcement, fire departments, and FEMA disaster-response units.

Notable Operators

U.S. Army (former): Largest operator, with around 150 T-Hawks in service from 2007 to 2014 across forward units. Retired as the AeroVironment Wasp, Raven, and Puma reached full fielding.
U.S. Marine Corps (former): Operated the T-Hawk in limited numbers within Marine Air-Ground Task Forces for forward-unit reconnaissance. Withdrawn as the Marine Corps adopted AeroVironment platforms and other small UAVs.
U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal: U.S. Navy EOD teams flew the T-Hawk for surveillance and reconnaissance in support of ordnance-disposal missions, exploiting its VTOL takeoff and landing to operate from confined or urban areas closed to fixed-wing UAVs.
Civilian / commercial operators: U.S. civil users included law enforcement (border patrol and urban surveillance), fire departments (wildfire reconnaissance), and FEMA (disaster damage assessment).

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the RQ-16 differ from AeroVironment small UAVs?

The two families use different operating concepts. AeroVironment's RQ-11 Raven, Wasp III, and Puma are hand-launched fixed-wing aircraft recovered by deep-stall landing. The RQ-16 T-Hawk is a ducted-fan VTOL that takes off and lands vertically. VTOL allows it to operate from urban, confined, or vegetated areas closed to fixed-wing aircraft, but range and endurance are shorter than comparable fixed-wing platforms. The U.S. military eventually settled on the AeroVironment fixed-wing approach for most requirements, though VTOL platforms still fill niche roles.

Why was the RQ-16 retired?

It lost the market to AeroVironment. Competing directly against the Wasp, Raven, and Puma family, the T-Hawk was undercut by (1) the simpler operating concept of the AeroVironment fixed-wing aircraft, (2) lower per-system cost, and (3) AeroVironment's broader market presence. By 2014 U.S. military procurement had shifted decisively to AeroVironment, and Honeywell wound down RQ-16 production. A handful of civilian operators continued flying the type for niche tasks.

What civilian uses did the RQ-16 have?

Civilian applications fell into four areas. Law enforcement used it for border patrol, urban surveillance, and search and rescue. Fire departments flew it for wildfire reconnaissance and search and rescue in confined or urban terrain. FEMA used it for hurricane and flood damage assessment and disaster-response search and rescue. Industrial users employed it for power-line and oil-refinery inspection. Some of these civilian roles continue with T-Hawk-derived platforms today.

Sources

Honeywell Aerospace — T-Hawk MAV heritage
Wikipedia — Honeywell RQ-16 T-Hawk — Source extract used for grounding; CC BY-SA attribution.