General Atomics Tests New Equipment for Gray Eagle Extended Range Aircraft; David Alexander Quoted

General Atomics’ aeronautical systems business demonstrated new long-range sensors with the Gray Eagle Extended Range unmanned aircraft system.

The company said Wednesday it worked with industry partners to equip the GE-ER aircraft with air launch effects and ISR payloads for the test that took place late January at Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona.

The UAS used L3Harris Technologies’ Rio Nino communications intelligence, or COMINT, system to detect emitters and generated targeting coordinates via a synthetic aperture radar.

“The long-range radar, COMINT and ELINT packages, as well as launch and control of ALEs and the GBU-69B Small Glide Munition are all capabilities that are available today on the Gray Eagle ER,” said David Alexander, president of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems.

Aerospace company Area-I provided the aircraft’s Altius-600 ALEs that serve as sub-UAS units. The ALEs will undergo testing in the effort’s next demonstration scheduled for summer.

GE-ER is designed to accommodate longer operational ranges and more payload for U.S. Army missions.