Hanwha Aerospace said on the 15th that on the 14th (local time) in Washington, D.C., at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) defense exhibition, it signed a joint development contract with global unmanned aircraft specialist corporations GA-ASI (General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.) for the Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) unmanned aircraft "Gray Eagle-STOL (GE-STOL)."

Under the contract, the two corporations will develop one GE-STOL demonstrator for a first flight in 2027 and make the first delivery to a purchasing country in 2028. Hanwha Aerospace will supply the engine, landing gear, and fuel systems and establish domestic facilities for airframe assembly and production. Hanwha Systems will supply avionics and mission equipment.

Kim Seon (right), head of the Aviation Business Division and vice president of Hanwha Aerospace, and David Alexander (left), president of GA-ASI, pose for a commemorative photo after the signing ceremony for the joint development and production cooperation agreement for the Grey Eagle Short Takeoff and Landing (GE-STOL) unmanned aircraft at the AUSA exhibition in Washington, D.C., on the 14th (local time). /Courtesy of Hanwha Aerospace

Hanwha Aerospace earlier said it would invest more than 750 billion won in total, including 300 billion won secured through a paid-in capital increase in 4th for unmanned aircraft systems and engine development and facility construction.

The GE-STOL adds short takeoff and landing capability to the existing Gray Eagle. Unlike peer unmanned aircraft, which typically require runways longer than 1 km, it can take off and land with only about a 100-meter runway, enabling operations on short-deck ships, in the field, on beaches, and in parking lots. In Nov. last year, it conducted a takeoff test from the deck of Dokdo, a landing ship of our Navy that is smaller than a typical aircraft carrier.

It can carry 16 Hellfire missiles and conduct counter-unmanned aircraft operations, electronic warfare, and antisubmarine warfare.

GA-ASI forecasts that demand from purchasing countries for the GE-STOL will reach 15 trillion won over the next 10 years. The United States, the United Kingdom, and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies, Japan, and Australia currently operate GA-ASI's unmanned aircraft, and U.S. Forces Korea also operate the Gray Eagle, so if Korea's military adopts it, it is expected to contribute to ROK-U.S. combined operations.

Son Jae-il, CEO of Hanwha Aerospace, said, "By co-producing the GE-STOL in Korea and the United States, we will create related jobs and strengthen the aviation industry ecosystem," and added, "Hanwha is ready to leap forward as a comprehensive unmanned aviation corporations based on technological capabilities spanning fighter jet engines, radars, and avionics."

※ This article has been translated by AI. Share your feedback here.