GA-ASI announces successful Improved Gray Eagle (IGE) UAS endurance demonstration at AUSA 2013 exposition
NewsOctober 22, 2013
WASHINGTON. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has announced at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) annual exposition that the Improved Gray Eagle (IGE) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) has successfully completed the first of two planned U.S. Army endurance demonstration flights, flying for 45 hours nonstop.
This first endurance test was performed with the IGE in a Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition (RSTA) mode. During the second demonstration, which is planned for later this year, the aircraft will carry a wing-mounted external payload as well as weapons. The IGE has a maximum 540-pound internal payload capacity.
“This first endurance flight is a significant accomplishment for Improved Gray Eagle as it demonstrates the aircraft’s game-changing potential for saving the lives of Army Soldiers abroad by providing extended surveillance coverage, along with the ability to self-transit to other remote distant locations,” says the president of Aircraft Systems Group for GA-ASI, Frank W. Pace.
The IGE UAS has a Max Gross Takeoff Weight (MGTOW) of 4,200 pounds, including 850 pounds of internal fuel load, with an optional external fuel pod that can carry an additional 450 pounds. With the extra fuel, the IGE is capable of flying for an excess of 50 hours.
For more information on the IGE, visit www.ga-asi.com.
