Login
iscover
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has announced the successful ship take off and ground landing of its Gray Eagle short takeoff and landing uncrewed aerial system.
To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in.
Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more!
The STOL aircraft took off from the South Korean Navy amphibious landing ship Dokdo while underway at sea off the coast of Pohang and landed at the ground base of Pohang Navy Airfield in South Korea on November 12 this year, according to the company.
The Gray Eagle STOL medium-altitude, long-endurance aircraft has the ability to operate from large-deck warships such as amphibious ships and aircraft carriers, as well as short and unimproved fields on land.
GA-ASI is working with in-country partner Hanwha Aerospace on the project to further validate the aircraft’s capability and versatility.
“We applaud the South Korean navy for its foresight in examining the unique capability of GE STOL for its fleet. This demonstration illustrates the ability of the GE STOL to safely operate on many types of aircraft-capable ships, which opens myriad new ways our allies can use this UAS to support multi-domain naval operations,” said GA-ASI CEO Linden Blue.
Hanwha Aerospace is engaged with General Atomics to support national defence with proven, state-of-the-art technology suited for a multi-domain warfare environment, contributing to global security alongside allied nations in response to rapidly growing threats.
“The demonstration is a crucial step in verifying how the GE STOL can contribute to defense capabilities, and I am honored to witness this alongside the Republic of Korea Navy, to whom I extend my deepest gratitude for conducting the test,” said Hanwha Aerospace CEO and President Jae-il Son.
“Hanwha is fully committed to making bold investments, fostering collaboration, and providing steadfast support in the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) business.”
The Ministry of National Defense for the Republic of Korea is initially evaluating GE STOL for its ability to meet its emerging military requirements. South Korean navy, army and other officials were asked to evaluate Gray Eagle STOL and supported the test.
“The demo highlighted the versatility of STOL aboard a warship, in the Dokdo, designed not for fixed-wing aircraft but solely for helicopters. Gray Eagle STOL’s flight proves that navies can add significant new capability without costly major modifications to their existing warships,” said South Korean Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Yang Yong-mo.
In November 2023, GA-ASI and Mojave performed a demonstration of STOL takeoff and return landing aboard an aircraft carrier in an event with the UK Royal Navy’s HMS Prince of Wales. The Dokdo class is considerably smaller than the Prince of Wales.
