US Military Awards Logistics Support Contract for Gray Eagle UAV
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General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. has recently been awarded a contract worth over $29.3 million dollars by the United States Military to supply logistics support services for the MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAS. At the time of the award, the United States Army was obligated to immediately grant the company $6.4 million. Uasvision.com reports that work and logistics support will be performed in California over the next year, with the estimated date of completion being the fourth of September 2020.
The MQ-1C Gray Eagle was originally developed for the United States Army as an upgrade of the MQ-1 Predator UAV.
The Gray Eagle UAV has had its first flight way back in 2004, although it was only first operational in June 2010.
The unmanned aircraft has a 17 meter wingspan and is 8.5 meters long. It is a little bit over two meters tall and has a maximum takeoff weight of approximately 1,630 kilograms.
Its 165 horsepower engine runs on heavy fuels allowing the Gray Eagle to reach speeds of up to 309 kilometers an hour for a flight time of up to 25 hours.
An improved version of the Gray Eagle has also been manufactured, with a 205 horsepower engine, maximum takeoff weight of 1,900 kilograms. The improved UAV can carry significantly more fuel, with the possibility of attaching external tanks allowing the UAV to stay airborne for over 50 hours.
The UAV is considered a Medium-Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV. It is often used for reconnaissance and attack operations.
