Black Hornet (nano) vs RQ-4 Global Hawk
The two ends of the catalogue. The Black Hornet is a reconnaissance nano-drone about 17 centimetres across that fits in a palm and flies some 2 km; the RQ-4 Global Hawk spans 39.9 metres, more than many airliners, with a reference range of 22,780 km. Neither is armed: both are observation platforms, at scales more than two hundred times apart.
Size to scale
RQ-4 Global Hawk is 234.7 times larger than Black Hornet (nano) · Range: a 11,390× difference
Reference range
Black Hornet (nano) — 2 km
RQ-4 Global Hawk — 22,780 km
Logarithmic scale from 1 km to 100,000 km.
Payload or warhead
Black Hornet (nano) — n/a / not published
RQ-4 Global Hawk — 1,360 kg
Logarithmic scale from 1 kg to 10,000 kg.
Black Hornet (nano)
0.17 m · 2 km · n/a / not published
Teledyne FLIR reconnaissance nano-drone; carries cameras only.
RQ-4 Global Hawk
39.9 m · 22,780 km · 1,360 kg
USAF fact sheet; high-altitude reconnaissance, unarmed.
* Open-source estimate. Range may be control-link, flight or ferry range depending on the system; it is not a combat radius.
Figures used and how reliable they are
- Black Hornet (nano): 0.17 m, 2 km, n/a / not published. Teledyne FLIR reconnaissance nano-drone; carries cameras only.
- RQ-4 Global Hawk: 39.9 m, 22,780 km, 1,360 kg. USAF fact sheet; high-altitude reconnaissance, unarmed.
Related comparisons
Compare any other pair in the military drone comparison, with its full method. More context: Modern warfare · Weapons · All tools
Sources / References
- U.S. Air Force official fact sheets for the MQ-1, MQ-9 and RQ-4.
- Baykar, AeroVironment and Teledyne FLIR public product sheets.
- RUSI reports on drone use in Ukraine.
- CSIS and IISS open-source analysis of Shahed, Lancet and Orlan.