General Atomics inks collaboration deal with South Korea's Hanwha

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and South Korea's Hanwha Aerospace have agreed to collaborate on developing and producing Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for the global defense market. The joint effort follows the completion of a flight demonstration in 2024 when the two companies launched a GA-ASI MQ-1C Gray Eagle STOL (GE STOL) UAS from the South Korean Navy's amphibious landing ship ROKS Dokdo (LPH-6111) as it was underway at sea off the coast of Pohang, South Korea.

The demonstration illustrated the GE STOL's ability to safely operate on many types of aircraft-capable ships. Gray Eagle STOL (Short TakeOff and Landing) is a medium-altitude, long-endurance aircraft that can operate without a catapult or arresting gear from fight deck-equipped warships such as amphibious ships and aircraft carriers. It also enables runway independence by operating from unimproved fields, roads, beaches, parking lots, etc.

Hanwha Aerospace plans to invest more than 300 billion KRW (US$203.5 million) in the development and production facilities for GE STOL and UAS engines, expand research and development activities, and provide production infrastructure in both South Korea and with GA-ASI in the U.S. This is in addition to GA-ASI's past and ongoing investment in UAS STOL development. Hanwha also plans to create jobs by securing talent in related fields and to foster the domestic (Korean) UAS industry ecosystem by discovering domestic parts and material partner companies. GA-ASI expects the endeavor to create nearly 10 000 jobs based upon the expected sales and support over the next 10 years and at least 500 jobs in the U.S.A.

Previously known as Mojave, Gray Eagle STOL has extensive commonality with the in-production Gray Eagle 25M airframe. Gray Eagle STOL has recorded several milestones, including the flight from the Dokdo, launch, and recovery aboard the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, live-fire testing at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, and several others.

(article source: General Atomics  / editor: Anton van Rijsbergen)
(image source: General Atomics )