MQ-1 Predator / Gray Eagle vs Orion: how to tell them apart

Two military drones that are easy to mix up at a glance. Here is what tells them apart.

MQ-1 Predator / Gray Eagle

Drone, USA. In service since 1995

What gives it away

Slender drone with a rounded nose, long straight wings, inverted V-tail and a pusher propeller.

Used by

USA (Gray Eagle), Morocco, UAE and others; Italy retired its Predators in 2022

Orion

Drone, Russia

What gives it away

Predator-like drone with a long straight wing, a V-tail and a pusher propeller at the rear.

Used by

Russia, Algeria, Ethiopia

What they share

These won’t tell them apart.

• Straight wing
• 1 engine
• Runway
• Large drone
• Camera ball under the nose

MQ-1 Predator / Gray Eagle · Orion · All guides