General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has announced the successful completion of flight testing for the SNC Electronic Support Measures (ESM) system on the MQ-1C Gray Eagle Extended Range (ER) Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS).

MQ-1C Gray Eagle ER UAS is an unmanned aircraft that’s deployed for Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition (RSTA) missions.

Produced by SNC, the ESM lets the Gray Eagle gain visibility into battlespace while operating outside the range of threats.

This enhances survivability for crewed Army aircraft throw advanced Crewed-Uncrewed Teaming.

SNC’s ESM integration adds to other Gray Eagle UAS improvements showcased in exercises like:

• U.S. European Command
• Vanguard
• Project Convergence Capstone 5 (PC-C5)

The most recent flight testing is part of plans by the U.S. Army to modernize the Gray Eagle with long-range sensors that enable it to detect and target hostile Integrated Air Defense Systems (IADS).

By doing so, the Gray Eagle will be able to:

• Detect and target outside Weapon Engagement Zones (WEZ)
• Share critical information with ground commanders more quickly
• Improve mission assurance for U.S. Forces operating in the Area of Responsibility (AOR)

Much of the project is made possible by the Gray Eagle’s open systems architecture, which reduced both the cost and also the time required for the modification.

GA-ASI President David R. Alexander said, “We’re excited to have new capability on the Army Gray Eagle. Combining long-range detection with the range and persistence of the Gray Eagle ensures that commanders always know when an adversary’s IADS is operating.”