General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) announced on 31 May 2024 that the US Army National Guard (ARNG) has ordered 12 Gray Eagle 25M (GE 25M) unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) that have been paid for as part of 2023 congressional funding.
The funding comes after ARNG leaders, which make up 45% of the US Army’s combat divisions, requested GE 25Ms to make ARNG divisions mirror the active component in being multi-domain operations (MDO) capable, deployable and better able to team with newly formed division artillery brigades. The GE 25Ms will also be available to support domestic missions, such as homeland defence and disaster response, as needed.
GA-ASI spokesman C Mark Brinkley confirmed to ESD that the ARNG order covers 12 Gray Eagle 25M unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Regarding ground control stations (GCSs), Brinkley explained that the Gray Eagle 25M UAS uses laptop-based control stations that offer more flexibility through their ability to operate in expeditionary environments while increasing mobility and survivability. This eliminates the need for a large GCS that often requires vehicles to move and operate. Brinkley said the ARNG units are expected to have two laptop control systems for every four UAVs (one platoon).
The GE 25M is a modernised model of the Gray Eagle UAV designed to meet the US Army’s MDO requirements for both active-duty and National Guard units. The GE 25M is equipped with the new EagleEye multi-mode radar as well as electro-optical/infrared sensors and can host a wide range of additional kinetic and non-kinetic payloads.
“Equipping ARNG divisions with organic GE 25Ms makes possible the necessary mission planning, targeting, communications, detailed co-ordination and realistic training needed to employ the systems successfully in combat,” GA-ASI stated in a press release. “The GE 25M will allow ARNG divisions to have divisional reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition (RSTA) for the first time.”
“The Gray Eagle platform has a proven record of performance with over a million hours of safe operations, including automatic take-off and landing capability,” GA-ASI Vice President of DoD Strategic Development Patrick Shortsleeve was quoted as saying. “The aircraft excels as an enabler for fires, manoeuvre, network, and intelligence operations. It is also an integral part of the Army Aviation team, working closely with manned rotary-wing systems to achieve overmatch against pacing threats.”
The GE 25M made its maiden flight on 5 December 2023, following an undefinitised contract award announced on 1 December 2023 for the Gray Eagle 25M production-representative test aircraft.
