General Atomics Aeronautical Systems’ Gray Eagle short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft has successfully conducted its ship-to-land flight, the first-ever mission of its kind for this type of aircraft.
This event saw the uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) take off from a South Korean Navy’s landing ship Dokdo off the coast of Pohang.
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After its launch, the UAS continued its flight to Pohang Navy Airfield, where it completed a normal landing.
The flight was carried out in collaboration with Hanwha Aerospace.
The Gray Eagle STOL is designed for short take-off and landing and can operate from large-deck warships and short or unimproved land fields.
It shares many features with the classic Gray Eagle aircraft but incorporates a different engine, wings, control surfaces, and landing gear.
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By GlobalDataIt is the production variant of the prototype known as Mojave.
Mojave can carry up to 3,600lb and features an advanced sensor suite, including EO/IR, SAR/GMTI, SIGINT, and contested logistic pods with 500lb of cargo capacity per wing for land or maritime missions.
Hanwha Aerospace CEO and president Jae-il Son said: “The demonstration is a crucial step in verifying how the GE STOL can contribute to defence capabilities, and I am honoured to witness this alongside the Republic of Korea Navy, to whom I extend my deepest gratitude for conducting the test.”
The combat experiment, which used the drone prototype, was part of the navy’s initiative to develop an advanced composite combat system that integrates manned and unmanned capabilities, with a focus on AI-based uncrewed combat systems.
The UAS used in the combat experiment is a fixed-wing aircraft with a 16m wingspan and a 9m length.
The drone was transported in parts aboard the Dokdo ship on 4 November, assembled, and underwent test runs for a week before being ready for the combat experiment.
Last year, GA-ASI and Mojave showcased an STOL take-off and return landing aboard an aircraft carrier with the UK Royal Navy’s HMS Prince of Wales.
