Gray Eagle STOL UAV plan
Hanwha Aerospace and General Atomics‑ASI are jointly developing a Gray Eagle STOL UAV intended to operate from roughly 100‑metre runways on Dokdo‑class ships, with a maiden flight targeted for 2027 (x.com). Reporting says the design will leverage Hanwha’s avionics and radar expertise alongside GA‑ASI’s UAV experience (x.com).
A fixed-wing drone usually needs a long runway. General Atomics and Hanwha want one that can get airborne from ships and short strips instead. (ga.com) The companies signed their co-development and co-production agreement on October 14, 2025, to build the Gray Eagle Short Takeoff and Landing system, with a maiden flight targeted for 2027 and first deliveries in 2028. Final assembly and manufacturing are planned for a new facility in South Korea, while General Atomics Aeronautical Systems will handle final integration. (ga.com) The aircraft is aimed at “runway-independent” operations, meaning it can use rough or very short launch areas instead of a conventional air base. General Atomics says the type can operate from dirt roads, open fields, beaches and parking lots, and Hanwha said it is also meant to fly from flight-deck-equipped warships without catapults or arresting gear. (ga.com) (hanwha.com) That ship piece is central to the Korea angle. On November 12, 2024, General Atomics launched the Gray Eagle Short Takeoff and Landing aircraft from the Republic of Korea Navy amphibious ship Dokdo off Pohang and landed it at Pohang Navy Airfield, which the company called a first for an aircraft of that type. (ga-asi.com) South Korea’s navy has a practical reason to test this idea. Admiral Yang Yong-mo said the Dokdo was designed for helicopters, not fixed-wing aircraft, and the November 2024 flight was presented as evidence that a navy could add a fixed-wing unmanned aircraft to an existing ship without major structural changes. (ga-asi.com) The design also builds on hardware that already exists. General Atomics said the production system will use a funded prototype already in flight testing, while Hanwha described the aircraft as formerly known as Mojave and said it shares core systems with the Gray Eagle 25M. (ga.com) (hanwha.com) Hanwha’s role goes beyond assembly. The company said it will supply engines, landing gear, fuel systems, avionics and mission equipment, and its executives tied the project to existing Korean strengths in radar, avionics and aircraft propulsion. (hanwha.com) The money is substantial by Korean industry standards. In April 2025, Hanwha said it planned to invest more than 750 billion won, about $517 million at the time, in Gray Eagle Short Takeoff and Landing development, production facilities and unmanned aircraft system engines. (hanwha.com) General Atomics has pitched the aircraft for reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition and counter-drone missions, and Hanwha said it can carry a 1.6-ton payload in modular configurations for reconnaissance or strike roles. Defense News reported the aircraft is also being marketed to multiple countries, including the United States and South Korean militaries. (ga.com) (hanwha.com) (defensenews.com) The near-term test is simple: whether the partners can turn a demonstrator that has already flown from Dokdo into a production aircraft on the 2027 schedule they have now put in writing. (ga.com)
