General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) stands at the forefront of this relentless push for advancement with their latest upgrade to the EagleEye multi-mode radar, set to significantly enhance the capabilities of the Gray Eagle 25M Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) for the U.S. Army.
The Gray Eagle, a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) drone, has been a vital part of the U.S. military’s reconnaissance and surveillance operations for over a decade.
With millions of flight hours accumulated in various conflicts, these drones have provided the U.S. Army with crucial intelligence, surveillance, and target acquisition (ISTAR) capabilities.
The latest upgrade involves integrating an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) antenna into the existing EagleEye radar system.
Jeff Hettick, GA-ASI’s vice president of Agile Mission Systems, states that this upgrade is expected to more than double the radar’s range.
“The increased range and optimized multi-mode performance of the radar are perfectly tailored to provide deep sensing capability in Multi-Domain Operations (MDO),” Hettick stated.
This significant leap in range will allow the Gray Eagle 25M to operate “well outside the weapons range of most threats,” effectively increasing the drone’s survivability on the battlefield.
The AESA antenna represents a departure from traditional mechanically steered dish antennas, favoring a solid-state, all-electronic design that enhances performance and reduces maintenance complexity.
Moreover, GA-ASI plans to incorporate Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) to sharpen target detection capabilities, thus solidifying EagleEye’s status as a cutting-edge system.
The radar’s robust suite of features includes Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), which can penetrate visual obstructions like clouds and dust, delivering high-resolution imagery in challenging conditions.
A novel addition to the Gray Eagle’s capabilities is “Video SAR,” a radar-based live video feed that can track moving targets, adding a dynamic layer to the drone’s reconnaissance suite.
The AESA-equipped EagleEye is also tailored for MDO.
A strategic approach that involves seamless cooperation across multiple domains of warfare—land, air, sea, space, and cyber.
GA-ASI plans to have a functional prototype of the updated radar by late 2024, followed by flight tests in the subsequent year and operational showcases on the Gray Eagle 25M.
In addition to extending the radar’s range, the AESA antenna upgrade, termed as a seamless “drop-in” hardware modification, will introduce significant mode enhancements to the EagleEye radar.
Relevant articles: – Powerful Radar Upgrade Promises Doubled Range for Gray Eagle 25M, SOFREP- General Atomics adding AESA radar and software to upgraded Gray Eagles, DefenseScoop- GA-ASI Adding AESA Antenna to EagleEye Radar, General Atomics- Powerful New Upgrades Make New Gray Eagle 25M the Most Capable Army UAS Ever, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI)