Gray Eagle 25M Soars: A New Era in Drone Flight Unveiled by GA-ASI

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) executed the inaugural flight of the Gray Eagle 25M (GE-25M) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle at its El Mirage, Calif. testing facility on December 5, 2023. This initial flight signifies a crucial achievement in the Gray Eagle modernization initiative as the U.S. Army progresses in developing the Multi-Domain Operations (MDO)-capable GE-25Ms for active duty and National Guard units. This flight comes on the heels of an undefinitized contract awarded on December 1, 2023, totaling up to $389 million for the Gray Eagle 25M Production Representative Test Aircraft. The GE-25M is anticipated to remain operational for the Army well into the 2050s.

The premier flight of the Gray Eagle 25M centered on essential flight operations, which included evaluations of the enhanced flight computer featuring 5X greater processing capabilities and 80X additional data storage (with 10X more RAM) to augment computing strength that allows real-time processing, alongside fulfilling the need for heightened automation and autonomy. The flight also assessed the aircraft’s new HFE 2.0 engine and its power generation systems. Developed in collaboration with Project Manager Endurance Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (PM EUAS), the innovative engine, gearbox, and generator design reduces extensive maintenance tasks and effectively eliminates the need for overhauls.

“In an MDO landscape, Soldiers depend on the aircraft to deliver enhanced reliability while minimizing personnel and equipment, which is why the GE-25M considerably lowers the maintenance demands on the aircraft,” stated GA-ASI President David R. Alexander.

GE-25M’s robust generators, coupled with sophisticated avionics, empower the aircraft to operate as a Multi-Domain Operations ‘platform’ capable of employing various advanced multi-intelligence sensors, launched effects, and electronic warfare pods.

GA-ASI collaborates with PM EUAS to provide a government-owned, government-regulated open architecture that facilitates plug-and-play functionalities, ensuring the platform can evolve with changing threats moving forward. The GE-25M features open architecture aircraft and ground systems, cutting-edge datalinks, and an upgraded propulsion system, greatly improving the capacity to incorporate new features, enhance resilience against electronic threats, and enable expeditionary operations in austere locations.