Gray Eagle® 25M

The Gray Eagle® 25M (GE 25M) is an advanced unmanned aircraft system (UAS) developed to enhance long-range reconnaissance, surveillance, and strike capabilities in contested environments.
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The Gray Eagle 25M is a new edition to GA-ASI’s family of unmanned aircraft, designed to meet the demands of modern warfare against peer adversaries. Delivering the same unmatched persistence of the proven Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER) platform, the GE 25M introduces a suite of enhancements that improve survivability, operational flexibility, and multi-domain adaptability.

Equipped with the new Heavy-Fuel Engine (HFE) 2.0, the aircraft delivers improved reliability and fuel efficiency, allowing for more than 40 hours of endurance. Its modernized data links, expeditionary ground control system, and long-range EagleEye radar—which provides five times the range of previous sensors—enable deep-penetration reconnaissance and high-endurance intelligence gathering.

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The GE 25M is engineered for contested environments, featuring electronic threat resilience with anti-jam GPS, secure SATCOM, and vision-based navigation. It also leverages standoff survivability by utilizing long-range sensors and deploying Air-Launched Effects (ALEs) to detect, disrupt, and engage targets deep inside enemy-controlled areas.

Utilizing a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) and the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) standard, the aircraft supports rapid integration of new sensors and systems from multiple vendors, ensuring it remains adaptable to emerging threats more affordably than any other platform in its class, leveraging such advantages as cutting-edge multi-INT sensors and the ability to deploy ALEs.

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Mission Capabilities

The Gray Eagle 25M is designed as a versatile, cost-effective solution for a wide range of mission sets, including:

  • Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition (RSTA)
  • Counter-UAS Operations
  • Air-Launched Effects (ALE) Deployment
  • Rear-Area and Leading-Edge Force Protection
  • Network Range Extension and Resilience
  • Counter-Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) Operations
  • Civil Authorities Support
  • Battle Damage Assessment (BDA)
  • Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)

With its modular payload capability, the aircraft can be customized to support evolving mission requirements.

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Design and Features

The Gray Eagle 25M incorporates cutting-edge advancements to enhance its operational effectiveness:

  • MOSA- and FACE 3.0-compliant aircraft and ground architecture
  • Operable from U.S. Army Laptop Control Station for greater flexibility
  • Resilient GPS and communications for contested environments
  • Triple-redundant flight control system for increased reliability
  • Dual-redundant flight control surfaces (ailerons, flaps, and ruddervators)
  • Automatic takeoff and landing
  • De-icing capability for wings and tails, expanding all-weather operability
  • Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL) for line-of-sight communications
  • Over-the-horizon Ku- and Ka-band SATCOM
  • Over 90% system operational availability for sustained operations
  • C-130 transportability for rapid deployment
  • Dual-rail Hellfire pylons supporting precision strike capability
  • Software-defined UHF, VHF, SINCGARS, and Link 16 communications
  • Matching 2,500-hour Time Between Replacement (TBR) across engine, gearbox, generators, and high-pressure fuel pump

Gray Eagle® 25M Specifications

Wingspan
58 ft (17 m)
Length
28 ft (9 m)
Powerplant
HFE 2.0 – 200-hp heavy-fuel engine
Max Gross Takeoff Weight
4,400 lb (1,996 kg)
Fuel Capacity
900 lb (408 kg)
Payload Capacity
Internal: 400 lb (181 kg); Each wing: 500 lb (227 kg); Centerline: 500 lb (227 kg)
Armament
8 × AGM-114 Hellfire missiles
Power Output
28 Vdc/14 kW (redundant 7-kW generators)
Maximum Altitude
25,000 ft
Endurance
40+ hours
Airspeed
167 KTAS
To learn more, visit the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc Partner Hub: Innovation Partner Hub
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