Hanwha Aerospace has committed $205 million in funding for its partnership with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. to develop and manufacture unmanned aerial vehicles in South Korea. The Korean defense company aims to promote local employment opportunities and use the country’s supply chain for UAV components through the collaboration, the Korea Economic Daily reported.
The partnership calls for the companies to co-develop GA-ASI’s Gray Eagle short takeoff and landing UAV. The drone will be designed for takeoff and landing on navy ships or short runways and for operating in austere locations with minimal infrastructure.
Test on Korean Naval Vessel
GA-ASI announced Hanwha as its local partner for the unmanned aircraft’s ship-to-shore test in November in Pohang. The Korean Ministry of National Defense has instructed military officials to evaluate the UAV and assist in the GE STOL test to determine its suitability for the country’s national security needs.
In the Korea Economic Daily report, Hanwha said that the Gray Eagle will be designed with a payload capacity of 1.6 tons and is expected to make its maiden flight by 2027. The Gray Eagle STOL is the production variant of General Atomics’ drone demonstrator, Mojave, which completed its maiden flight test on a British Royal Navy aircraft carrier in November 2023.
Deployment Across NATO
The Gray Eagle is an advanced iteration of the MQ-1 Predator drone, which GA-ASI has provided to NATO members and partner nations, including the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan.
According to GA-ASI, the U.S. Army’s Aviation Modernization Plan considers the Gray Eagle a crucial component. In September 2023, the Army’s drone-based electronic warfare system underwent extensive testing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in preparation for its integration into an MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft system.