Ryan BQM-145 Peregrine

Ryan Aeronautical · United States · first flew 1992 · reconnaissance aircraft

The BQM-145 Peregrine was a supersonic aerial target drone developed by Ryan Aeronautical for the US military, designed to simulate high-performance threat aircraft. It achieved speeds exceeding Mach 1 in a compact airframe.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, swept
E — Engines	1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Slender fuselage with mid-mounted swept wings
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Unmanned aerial target drone with high-subsonic speed
Slender fuselage with mid-mounted swept wings
Developed to replace older BQM-34 Firebee targets

Identified by its very short wingspan relative to fuselage length, mid-mounted swept wings, single turbojet engine, and unmanned aerial vehicle configuration.

Specifications

The Ryan BQM-145 Peregrine has a length of 5.6 m (18 ft).
It has a wingspan of 3.2 m (10 ft).
Its maximum speed is 1115 km/h (693 mph).
Typical crew: 0 (unmanned).

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in 1992 as part of a US Navy program to provide realistic aerial targets, the BQM-145 was intended to replace older Firebee drones. The program was eventually cancelled before full production was achieved.

Variants

Development focused on a single primary configuration, with testing exploring various flight profiles and target augmentation systems.

Where you'll see it

Used in limited test and evaluation flights by the US Navy; the program did not progress to operational service.

Related aircraft

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 4,893 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.