Photo: General Atomics
Back in the summer of last year news reached us of a brand-new engine beginning testing for use in the Gray Eagle military drone. Meant to replace the existing powerplant in the Extended Range variant of the aircraft, it was now put to the test for the first time in yet another version of the platform.
The Gray Eagle is one of the oldest military drones in America's arsenal. It first flew in 2004, and it only needed five years to be adopted for service by the US Army. Made by General Atomics, it is now the subject of intense modernization efforts meant to keep it relevant on the battlefields of the world for years to come.
One such effort targets the 25M, a Gray Eagle version that should have significantly more capabilities. What does that mean? Think about a five-time increase in processing power and no less than 80 times more data storage capability. All of that is topped by ten times more RAM power.
With the improved hardware on, the 25M should be increasingly autonomous, reducing the number of personnel needed to operate it. But, most importantly, it should be so reliable that it will need far fewer maintenance actions, and virtually no major overhaul during its lifetime.
Most of that is owed to the engine I mentioned earlier, which together with the transmission and generator "virtually eliminates" the need for an overhaul. We're talking about a powerplant General Atomics put together with help from famed engine maker Cosworth starting in 2016.
The engine is a heavy-fuel unit that uses dual brushless generators to reduce the number of parts that need to be serviced. It also delivers 50 percent more electrical power, allowing the drone to carry new payloads, including multi-intelligence sensors, launched effects, and electronic warfare pods.
The engine can develop a total of 200 horsepower, which is significantly more than what the current Gray Eagle Extended Range powerplant can do, 180 horsepower.
The engine was fitted on the 25M version and flown for the first time at the beginning of December 2023. General Atomics only now talks about the achievement.
The test flight was conducted at the company's flight facility in El Mirage, California, and "marks a significant milestone in the Gray Eagle modernization program." We're not given the specifics of it all, other than the test targeted the drone's engine and power generation system, but it appears to have been a success.
The U.S. Army awarded General Atomics a $389 million contract for the development of the Gray Eagle 25M at the end of 2023. It should be ready for service shortly, and deployed in the service of the Army and National Guard into the middle of the century.
One such effort targets the 25M, a Gray Eagle version that should have significantly more capabilities. What does that mean? Think about a five-time increase in processing power and no less than 80 times more data storage capability. All of that is topped by ten times more RAM power.
With the improved hardware on, the 25M should be increasingly autonomous, reducing the number of personnel needed to operate it. But, most importantly, it should be so reliable that it will need far fewer maintenance actions, and virtually no major overhaul during its lifetime.
Most of that is owed to the engine I mentioned earlier, which together with the transmission and generator "virtually eliminates" the need for an overhaul. We're talking about a powerplant General Atomics put together with help from famed engine maker Cosworth starting in 2016.
The engine is a heavy-fuel unit that uses dual brushless generators to reduce the number of parts that need to be serviced. It also delivers 50 percent more electrical power, allowing the drone to carry new payloads, including multi-intelligence sensors, launched effects, and electronic warfare pods.
The engine can develop a total of 200 horsepower, which is significantly more than what the current Gray Eagle Extended Range powerplant can do, 180 horsepower.
The engine was fitted on the 25M version and flown for the first time at the beginning of December 2023. General Atomics only now talks about the achievement.
The test flight was conducted at the company's flight facility in El Mirage, California, and "marks a significant milestone in the Gray Eagle modernization program." We're not given the specifics of it all, other than the test targeted the drone's engine and power generation system, but it appears to have been a success.
The U.S. Army awarded General Atomics a $389 million contract for the development of the Gray Eagle 25M at the end of 2023. It should be ready for service shortly, and deployed in the service of the Army and National Guard into the middle of the century.
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