GA-ASI begins flight testing US Army's Improved Gray Eagle UAS

[Zarvan]

A new powerplant supports the IGE's increased maximum gross take-off weight of 4,200 lb, representing a 600 lb increase over the Gray Eagle. Source: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) has begun flight testing for its MQ-1C Gray Eagle Extended Range (ER) series unmanned aircraft for the US Army's Improved Gray Eagle (IGE) requirement, the company announced on 8 December.

GA-ASI said it has conducted the first flight of a "production representative MQ-1C Gray Eagle ER aircraft".

In October 2015 the army announced it had awarded GA-ASI a production contract for 19 IGEs.

The aircraft, designed with internal research and development funding, evolves the legacy Gray Eagle to add performance improvements such as increased endurance from 25 to 48 hours. It carries more fuel and is powered by Heavy Fuel Engine-180 (HFE-180) that increases the platform's maximum gross take-off weight by 600 lb to 4,200 lb.

"MQ-1C ER is expected to complete flight testing in June 2017, at which point it will begin a series of army test events culminating in the programme's second follow-on operational test and evaluation in late 2017, GA-ASI said, adding that the first four aircraft are expected to be delivered to the army in the second and third quarter of 2017, with the other 15 throughout 2018.

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