General Atomics has begun producing the Gray Eagle drone’s latest version with a new synthetic aperture radar capable of spotting targets 50 miles (80 kilometers) away.
Dubbed the Eagle Eye, the radar’s range increases to 125 miles (201 kilometers) during maritime surveillance.
It can spot targets in the air, at sea, and on land.
How It Hunts
The defense firm is positioning the Eagle Eye-equipped Gray Eagle 25M as a crucial cog in a counter-drone architecture.
It can identify and track small drones, including loitering munitions, and tap other counter-drone weapons, such as a direct energy weapon or a cannon, to close the kill chain, Defense News reported citing a senior company official.
Small Drones
Militaries and armed groups have deployed small drones, often in groups, to achieve tactical advantages against technologically superior adversaries.
Countering such drones with an air-to-air missile by an aircraft or a drone such as Gray Eagle is expensive.
“That is where General Atomics sees its Eagle Eye-equipped Gray Eagles — working hand-in-hand with other systems that could do the actual shooting down of enemy drones — benefiting the Army,” Defense News wrote, citing General Atomics’ senior official Mike Shortsleeve.
Delivery to Start From 2026
The drone demonstrated its capability in trials this year and in 2022.
The first tranche of 12 Eagle Eye-equipped Gray Eagles would be delivered to the Army National Guard in the second half of 2026, the outlet wrote citing Shortsleeve.
Another tranche of six to 12 drones would be delivered to the active duty army thereafter.