Reconnaissance & Special Duties

Aircraft of the Royal Air Force classified as reconnaissance & special duties — profiled in full.

7 Aircraft Profiles
Featured Reconnaissance & Special Duties

General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems

Reconnaissance & Special Duties

The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper became the RAF’s best-known remotely piloted aircraft, combining persistent surveillance with precision strike support in Afghanistan and other modern operations.

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Entered service 2007 (RAF service)
Max speed 300 mph (482 km/h)
Ceiling 50,000 ft (15,240 m)
Range 1,150 miles (1,850 km)

Reconnaissance & Special Duties · 7 aircraft

Modern RAF

BAE Hawk

British Aerospace / BAE Systems
Reconnaissance & Special Duties 1976
Modern RAF

Boeing E-3 Sentry

Boeing
Reconnaissance & Special Duties 1991–2021
Second World War

de Havilland Mosquito

de Havilland
Reconnaissance & Special Duties 1941–1963
Cold War

English Electric Canberra

English Electric
Reconnaissance & Special Duties 1951–2006
Modern RAF

General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems
Reconnaissance & Special Duties 2007
Cold War

Hawker Siddeley Nimrod

Hawker Siddeley
Reconnaissance & Special Duties 1969–2010
Second World War

Westland Lysander

Westland Aircraft Ltd
Reconnaissance & Special Duties 1938–1946