Reserve Components Looking to Improve In-House

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems announced a fresh order for a dozen Gray Eagle 25M UAVs with accompanying equipment, for fulfillment to the Army National Guard (ARNG).

The manufacturer will see the order paid out of 2023 congressional funding, which helps to bring them ups to speed. Army staff have begun to see the ubiquity of drone warfare in the modern age, and they've grown just a little antsy in the hopes of catching up to speed. The NG component of the army makes up a full 45% of its combat divisions, and the current zeitgeist favors a mirrored force on either side. Having Guard units function as close as possible to their active duty counterparts helps keep the rust away, and ensure that should they dragged into conflict, they won't be dragging along second-line kit. Tossing some Gray Eagles into the mix provides the ARNG with full multi-spectrum intel gathering capability, even a modest complement of ordnance from the air, which greatly enhances their capacity to leverage their artillery and field components. With a few Gray Eagles on Tap, they can be more or less self reliant in planning, targeting, coordinating, and communicating.

“The Gray Eagle platform has a proven record of performance with over a million hours of safe operations, including automatic takeoff and landing capability,” said GA-ASI Vice President of DoD Strategic Development Patrick Shortsleeve. “The aircraft excels as an enabler for Fires, Maneuver, Network, and Intelligence operations. It is also an integral part of the Army Aviation team, working closely with manned rotary-wing systems to achieve overmatch against pacing threats.”

FMI: www.ga.com