Role & capabilities
- Tactical reconnaissance
- Communications-relay configurations
- Crewed–uncrewed collaboration heritage
- Primary domain
- Air
- System type
- Reconnaissance aircraft
- Developer / manufacturer
- AAI / Textron Systems
- Origin / production countries
- United States
- Other names
- No additional names recorded
- Variants / configurations
- RQ-7A; RQ-7B; RQ-7B V2; RQ-7B V2 Block III
- Operators / programme customers
- US Army (historical; programme ended March 2024)
Evidence & current status
Historical profile. US Army retirement does not establish the status of every overseas fleet; older service forecasts are not current evidence.
Shadow provided tactical reconnaissance to the US Army and allied forces for more than two decades. The family evolved through RQ-7A, RQ-7B and later V2 configurations, combining an observation payload, ground control and a launch-and-recovery support system. The later Block III introduced updated equipment and support for collaboration with crewed aircraft.
Its historical prominence should not be confused with a current US Army procurement opportunity. An Army account published in August 2025 states that the service ended the RQ-7B platform in March 2024 and describes the transition of former Shadow personnel to smaller uncrewed systems. Older manufacturer statements forecasting support far into the future were overtaken by that decision.
The specifications in this entry refer specifically to the RQ-7B V2 Block III manufacturer baseline. Earlier Shadows should not inherit its mass, payload or endurance values. The US Army decision likewise does not establish a retirement date for every foreign operator. Current overseas inventories and remaining support arrangements require country-specific evidence, while the family remains relevant as a historical reference for tactical-UAV development.
Sourced specifications
Figures apply to the named configuration. Maximum values are not guaranteed operating performance.
| Specification | Reported value | Context & source |
|---|---|---|
| Airframe | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗ |
| Launch / recovery | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗ |
| Propulsion | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗ |
| Dimensions | 6.2 m maximum wingspan | RQ-7B V2 Block III baseline only. Source ↗ |
| Mass | 243 kg gross take-off weight | RQ-7B V2 Block III. Source ↗ |
| Endurance | 8 hours | RQ-7B V2 Block III. Source ↗ |
| Range | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗ |
| Speed | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗ |
| Altitude | 18,000 ft ceiling | RQ-7B V2 Block III. Source ↗ |
| Payload | 43 kg | RQ-7B V2 Block III. Source ↗ |
| Sensors | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗ |
| Communications / navigation | 125 km line-of-sight range | Communications range for Block III; not flight distance. Source ↗ |
Publication history
- — Added in the September 2026 global coverage review, with sources, configuration limits and explicit data gaps.
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Follow the evidence
Source types identify who makes the claim. Programme milestones and supplier statements should be read in context.
- Textron Shadow and Block III specification page (opens in a new tab)Manufacturer / programme
- US Army account of the Shadow transition, 5 August 2025 (opens in a new tab)Military / operator
- Textron Shadow programme history, 18 April 2024 (opens in a new tab)Manufacturer / programme