In a first-of-its-kind operation, South Korea has launched a General Atomics Gray Eagle uncrewed aerial vehicle from one of the country’s naval ships.
The sortie, which took place on 12 November, saw a short take-off and landing (STOL) variant of the Gray Eagle launch from the South Korean navy’s Dokdo flattop amphibious assault ship off the coast of Pohang and land at a naval base some 170 miles (273km) away.
The Dokdo is similar to the US Navy’s America-class amphibious assault ships, or Japan’s Izumo-class vessels – essentially a type of light aircraft carrier. While those ships are capable of supporting both rotary-wing aircraft and short take-off and vertical landing jump jets like the Lockheed Martin F-35B, the Dokdo is primarily a helicopter carrier.
General Atomics says the South Korean defence ministry is evaluating Gray Eagle STOL for its “ability to meet its emerging military requirements”.
“The demo highlighted the versatility of STOL aboard a warship,” says Admiral Yang Yong-mo, Seoul’s top naval officer, noting the Dokdo was designed only to support rotary-wing aircraft.
“Gray Eagle STOL’s flight proves that navies can add significant new capability without costly major modifications to their existing warships,” he adds.
General Atomics describes the ship-based sortie as the first-ever such mission for the Gray Eagle multi-role UAV, which can be used for reconnaissance, counter UAS and air-to-ground strike missions.
“We applaud the South Korean navy for its foresight in examining the unique capability of Gray Eagle STOL for its fleet,” says Linden Blue, chief executive of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. “This demonstration illustrates the ability of the Gray Eagle 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.”
California-based General Atomics partnered with South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace on the flight, part of a broader effort to support Seoul’s ongoing defence initiatives.
“The demonstration is a crucial step in verifying how the Gray Eagle STOL can contribute to defence capabilities,” says Hanwha CEO Jae-il Son. “Hanwha is fully committed to making bold investments, fostering collaboration and providing steadfast support in the unmanned aerial vehicle business.”
The STOL version of the Gray Eagle has a high degree of commonality with the type’s standard configuration, but uses a different engine, wings, control surfaces and landing gear.
To qualify as short take-off-and-landing capable under the Pentagon’s definition, an aircraft must be able to clear a 15.2m (50ft) obstacle within 450m of commencing take-off, and when landing must stop within 450m after passing over a 12.2m obstacle.
The flight deck on the Dokdo is approximately 199m in length.
Gray Eagle is the production variant of General Atomics’ Mojave demonstrator aircraft. A medium-altitude, long-endurance UAV designed to operate from dirt airstrips and ships, the Mojave also launched from the UK Royal Navy’s HMS Prince of Wales light aircraft carrier in 2023.
The Mojave has a maximum take-off weight of 1,630kg (3,600lb) and is capable of carrying four Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles for armed surveillance and strike tasks.
Earlier this year, General Atomics also conducted live-fire testing of a podded version of the Dillon Aero M134 six-barrelled cannon mounted on the Mojave.
The company has previously said the type can take off and land in as little as 152m.
