Ageing RQ-11 Raven fleets create a global replacement opportunity
The RQ-11 Raven is a Mini (Group 1) hand-launchable UAV from AeroVironment. Defence Insight estimates the replacement market for this drone is worth $576 million.
The RQ-11 Raven is being retired from service across most of its more than 30 operators. Defence Insight estimates that these Raven retirements open up a replacement market worth at least $576 million, but suppliers will have to act quickly and strike a balance between cost and capability to succeed.
The Raven, known as the RQ-11 Raven in US nomenclature, is a family of mini (Group 1), fixed-wing, hand-launched UAVs. Manufactured by AeroVironment (AV), the system was introduced in the early 2020s and first deployed with the US Army, where it was used extensively in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Since its introduction, the drone has been sold worldwide, largely through the American Foreign Military Sales (FMS) scheme. Defence Insight estimates that more than 30 different nations have acquired or operated the drone since its induction, with more than 7,500 units known to have been acquired by military customers.
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