Gray Eagle ER begins new flight demo campaign
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has begun a series of internally-funded multi-domain operations (MDO) demonstrations of the Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER) UAS.
The flight series are being carried out throughout 2020 to demonstrate that a GE-ER equipped with long-range sensors and air launched effects (ALE) is able to detect, identify, locate and report targetable data to support long range precision fires systems (LRPF).
During the first flight, Gray Eagle was equipped with the Lynx Block 30A Long Range Synthetic Aperture Radar/Ground Moving Target Indicator (SAR/GMTI). The UAS was able to detect military targets out to a range of 75km. The Lynx SAR imagery produces precise coordinates with every image, cueing to aviation assets or enabling direct engagement with LRPF. With modes for GMTI, dismount detection on the dismount moving target indicator, maritime detection and maritime identification with inverse SAR, the Lynx payload supports operations over land or sea in the Pacific and European theatres.
Demonstrations planned in 2020 include integration of additional long range and MDO relevant sensors, communications packages, and launching ALE from the aircraft. Serving as an ALE mothership, the GE-ER will carry multiple ALEs with a variety of capabilities. The launch and control of ALEs from GE-ER could potentially increase the survivability and effectiveness of current and future manned aviation systems with intelligence, targeting, communications, jammers, decoys and kinetic effects.
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