General Atomics receives contract for Gray Eagle drones

Aug. 23 (UPI) -- General Atomics Aeronautical System has received an $11 million contract modification for engineering services in support of the Gray Eagle unmanned aerial system.

Work on the contract, announced Wednesday by the Department of Defense, will be performed in Poway, Calif., with an estimated completion date of September 2019. Army fiscal 2017 and 2018 aircraft procurement, research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $11 million were obligated at the time of the award.

The Gray Eagle is a derivative of the Predator unmanned aerial vehicle designed for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and strike missions. It has a flight endurance of over 25 hours and can operate as high as 29,000 feet.

The UAS has a maximum payload capacity of 1075 lbs. It is capable of mounting electro-optical and infrared cameras for target detection and can mount up to four Hellfire laser-guided missiles. It can also carry it's own laser designator for targeting of it's own ordnance or for other platforms.

The Gray Eagle has an automatic take-off and landing system that enables it to launch and land without any direct control from operators. It can use any standard U.S. military fuel to ease logistical burdens.