A General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) Gray Eagle STOL unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has taken off from a South Korean warship and landed at a ground base in the first-ever such mission for a UAV of that type, GA-ASI announced on 13 November 2024.
The mission took place on 12 November 2024, when the Gray Eagle STOL (GE STOL: GA-ASI’s name for the production variant of its Mojave UAV demonstrator) was launched from the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) amphibious landing ship Dokdo, which was underway at sea off the coast of Pohang, and flew to Pohang Navy Airfield, landing there.
The mission was conducted in conjunction with the ROKN and GA-ASI’s in-country partner, Hanwha Aerospace.
The Gray Eagle STOL (which stands for short take-off and landing) is the only medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAV of its kind with the ability to operate from large-deck warships such as amphibious ships and aircraft carriers, as well as short and unimproved fields on land, with South Korean test further validating that capability. The Gray Eagle STOL is highly common with GA-ASI’s classic Gray Eagle UAV, but has a different engine, wings, control surfaces and landing gear.
“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,” GA-ASI CEO Linden Blue was quoted as saying in company press release.
“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,” added 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 business.”
The South Korean Ministry of National Defense is initially evaluating the Gray Eagle STOL for its ability to meet its emerging military requirements, with South Korean navy, army and other officials asked to support 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. The Gray Eagle STOL’s flight proves that navies can add significant new capability without costly major modifications to their existing warships,” said ROKN Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Yang Yong-mo.
In November 2023 GA-ASI performed a demonstration of a take-off from and landing on board an aircraft carrier with its Mojave UAV operating from the UK Royal Navy’s HMS Prince of Wales, which is 284 m long and 73 m wide. The Dokdo class is considerably smaller than the Prince of Wales, at just 199 m long (199m) and 31 m wide.
