Data Quality85%
MASS(Military Archive Scoring System)
ⓘ Regardless of era, the same scoring system applies to all units in the reconnaissance / surveillance drones category.
01 / Overview
Ryan AQM-91 Firefly
Country
Production
1968–1973
Quantity
28
Operators
Conflicts
💰 PERFORMANCE / PRICE ASSESSMENT Methodology ↗
RECONNAISSANCE / SURVEILLANCE DRONES · COLD WAR
3
PERFORMANCE/PRICE
45
UNIT COST (2025 USD)
—
ⓘ Performance/Price and MASS score are computed across all units in the reconnaissance / surveillance drones category, regardless of era.
02 / Specs & Design
◎General5MOD.5
- UAV Classhigh-altitude reconnaissance UAV
- Category (MALE/HALE/Tactical/Micro)Reconnaissance / Surveillance Drones
- First Flight1968
- Primary Rolestrategic aerial reconnaissance
- In ServiceNo
◈Airframe5MOD.5
- Length10.4 m
- Wingspan14.5 m
- Empty Weight1,725 kg
- Max Takeoff Weight2,450 kg
- Low ObservableYes
▣Powerplant3MOD.3
- Engine TypeGeneral Electric YJ97-GE-3
- Number of Engines1
- Electric PropulsionNo
◇Performance3MOD.3
- Top Speed815 km/h
- Service Ceiling24,000 m
- Range3,220 km
◆Payload & Sensors5MOD.5
▤Armament4MOD.4
- ArmedNo
- Hardpoints0
- Weapons Payload0 kg
- Air-to-Ground MissilesNo
⬢Control & Autonomy5MOD.5
- Control TypeDC-130 Hercules launch, midair recovery by helicopter
- Satellite (BLOS) LinkNo
- Autonomous CapableNo
- Swarming CapableNo
- Automatic Takeoff/LandingNo
▲Production2MOD.2
- Total Built28
- Variants1
◎Service History4MOD.4
- Retirement Year1973
- Production Start1966
- Production End1973
- Operational Statuscancelled
03 / History
SERVICE LIFESPANRetired
- 1945First deployment: Cold War
- 1968Production started
- 1973Production ended
58
years in service
5
years in production
28
units produced
0
countries operating
ⓘ 1 countries retired it.
04 / Conflicts
RYAN AQM-91 FIREFLY · CONFLICTS SERVED IN100% win
Total Conflicts
1
Victories
1
Ongoing
0
Losses
0
ⓘ Shown only from conflicts recorded in our database.
06 / MASS Score
RECONNAISSANCE / SURVEILLANCE DRONES RANKING Reconnaissance / Surveillance Drones · Cold War
MASS RANKINGSMASS ↗
74RECONNAISSANCE / SURVEILLANCE DRONES3COLD WAR · RECONNAISSANCE / SURVEILLANCE DRONES1015UNITED STATES · ALL WEAPONS259PERFORMANCE/PRICE · RECONNAISSANCE / SURVEILLANCE DRONES
ⓘ Rankings are within theReconnaissance / Surveillance Dronescategory.
📖 TERMS ON THIS PAGE2terms
Electro-optical/infrared sensor combining daylight cameras and thermal imagers for real-time target detection, tracking, and identification in military drones.
Aircraft design and technology features that reduce detection by radar, infrared, acoustic, and other sensors through shaping, materials, and emissions control.
These terms are listed automatically because they appear on this page.full encyclopedia →
📚 Sources