GA-ASI’s Runway-independent GE STOL Opens Up Possibilities for Militaries

Our Bureau - : Feb 5, 2026 - : 12:04 am

Having signed an agreement with South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace for the co-development and co-production of the Gray Eagle Short Takeoff and Landing (GE STOL) unmanned aircraft system, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) is quietly confident about the market potential of the runway-independent multi-mission expeditionary UAS in the Asia Pacific as well as other regions.

The two companies signed the agreement in October last year and have already commenced work on a production representative aircraft. The maiden flight of the UAS is scheduled for 2027 and first delivery to customers is expected in 2028. GE STOL will be offered to customers worldwide, including South Korea Ministry of Defense and the United States War Department. The two companies are establishing a production facility in South Korea for final assembly and manufacturing of the system, with the American company handling the final integration.

According to GA-ASI, GE STOL will provide unprecedented operational flexibility in the Indo-Pacific Theater that is characterized by vast distances, maritime domains, and contested environments. The UAS is designed for short take-off and landing (STOL) from ships as well as unprepared surfaces such as dirt roads, highways, open fields, beaches, jungle clearings, and parking lots. Its expeditionary capability enables operations in austere environments at sea or on land. GE STOL has multi-mission capability and can be used for armed reconnaissance, counter-UAS, contested logistics, littoral manoeuvre, electronic warfare (EW), advanced teaming with air-launched effects, manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T), signals intelligence, long-range strategic ISR, and over-the-horizon targeting.

Mojave, the GE STOL demonstrator, is the first UAS in its class to fly from aircraft carriers; this unlocks opportunities for naval and sea-based mission support for joint, conventional, and special operations forces. In 2024, GA-ASI and Hanwha flew Mojave from the South Korean Navy’s amphibious landing ship ROKS Dokdo (LPH-6111) when it was underway at sea off the coast of Pohang, South Korea. Also in 2024, Mojave successfully performed live-fire testing at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona. In 2023, it was launched and recovered aboard the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales and demonstrated dirt strip operations.

GE STOL UAS will carry advanced sensors, weapons, and multi-mission packages tailored for ISR, precision targeting, and contested logistics. Production costs and technical risks are reduced as the UAS shares components with the MQ-1C Gray Eagle.

Busy Period for Company
The co-development of GE STOL UAS is not the only project that GA-ASI is currently involved in. The California-based company is also working to bring its Gambit series of unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs) to market. The U.S. Air Force is now flight testing the YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), which is a derivative of the Gambit Series. Gambit series airframes will be available for international procurement starting in 2027, with European missionized versions deliverable in 2029. The CCA is designed to operate in tandem with the company’s MQ-9B SkyGuardian or SeaGuardian, as well as other manned fighter jets.

GA-ASI has seen interest surge globally for its MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft (RPA). In January this year, Germany announced the procurement of eight MQ-9B SeaGuardian aircraft through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). Last year, MQ-9B became the first large RPA to obtain a Military Type Certificate from the UK’s Military Aviation Authority. The company has also signed MQ-9B procurement contracts with Belgium, Canada, Denmark, India, Japan, Poland, Taiwan and the U.S. Air Force in support of the Special Operations Command.