Latest news with #GrayEagle
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Here Are All the Big Cuts and Changes Coming to the Army
The Army is heading for a major reorganization that includes eliminating at least 2,000 positions -- a combination of civilian and troop roles -- and cuts to planned purchases in various drone and vehicle programs that are considered outdated, according to internal documents reviewed by Senior Army officials outlined the plan to top officials across the force earlier this month, the documents show. The undertaking amounts to one of the Army's most significant structural transformations in decades. The service's aim is to streamline the force while investing in emerging technologies that Army officials say are critical to preparing for modern conflicts, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. Read Next: From Star Wars to Golden Dome: Trump Pushes US Missile Shield Despite Funding and Technology Hurdles "Every role must sharpen the spear or be cut away," Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Gen. Randy George, the service's top officer, said in a joint memo to the force earlier this month. The plan calls for eliminating 1,000 Army staff roles in the Pentagon and nixing various air cavalry squadrons -- specific units were not listed -- along with combining and deactivating other units that will result in reducing personnel. For example, U.S. Army Japan Headquarters will combine with the 4th Multidomain Task Force, with the total size of that element being cut by 170 positions. As for hardware, the Army plans to end purchases of the Gray Eagle drone and reduce purchases of the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle by $498 million, in addition to other cuts, according to the documents. All commands will be directed to reduce temporary duty funding by 20%, and the service will slash funding for collective training barracks by $346 million. Those barracks are typically living quarters for major training exercises, basic training and various schools. However, it was still unclear what the changes could mean for the total size of the Army. The plan outlines reductions to "responsibly balance end strength" in pursuit of a "leaner, more lethal Army." The Army declined request for interviews to add context to the cuts. The service is still juggling multiple options for how many soldiers it plans to keep in its formations, with unfinished plans for cuts. In the meantime, it has already imposed limits on soldiers' reenlistment options. Major cuts may need to be made to pay for President Donald Trump's Golden Dome missile defense system, which is expected to cost at least $175 billion, and cuts would likely have to come from the Army, which is the largest component of the Pentagon. Meanwhile, recruiting has seen a dramatic upswing in 2025. That follows two years of targeted reforms including the introduction of the Future Soldier Preparatory Course. The prep courses, which help candidates meet academic and physical standards, have played a key role in revitalizing the Army's pipeline, bringing in one-quarter of its enlistments last year. Next year, the service plans to invest more in the program, adding the capacity for an additional 189 trainees -- the program right now has the ability to graduate 23,500 recruits into basic training annually. As part of the plan briefed to officials, the Army will also shift away from electric vehicles and fuel-saving programs, stripping all research from those efforts. Electric vehicles have often been scoffed at by Republicans for their feasibility on the battlefield, though traditional fuel logistics are incredibly expensive and complicated, and large diesel trucks are usually very loud and not conducive to reconnaissance or low-profile operations. "No more climate change worship. No more electric tanks," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in April at the U.S. Army War College in Pennsylvania. "No more woke bull----." Here are more major cuts and changes planned by the Army: Cut funding for Army Prepositioned Stocks by $337 million. Reduce funding for the Defense Language Institute by $30 million. Cut the budget for the Army Geospatial Center by $50 million. Cut various virtual reality training programs by $52 million. Cease procurement of TOW wire-guided missiles equipped to vehicles and tripods for base defense. Terminate the pursuit of "anti-idle" technology for vehicles, which would automatically cut power to vehicles during extended idling as a means to save fuel. Create a skill identifier for robotics and autonomous systems-related training. 56th Theater Fires Command will combine with 2nd Multidomain Task Force, with a reduction of 10 positions. 18th Field Artillery Brigade will combine with 5th Multidomain Task Force; 20 positions will be cut. 4th Infantry Division's armored brigade combat team will transition to a Stryker Brigade Combat Team. 3rd Cavalry Regiment will transition from Strykers to Abrams tanks, becoming an Armored Brigade Combat Team. Three unnamed Army National Guard units will be converted from Armored Brigade Combat Teams to Mobile Brigade Combat Teams, which are effectively standard infantry formations but with the new Infantry Squad Vehicle. Additionally, two National Guard Stryker Brigade Combat Teams will also convert to Mobile Brigade Combat Teams. All Army Reserve Air Cavalry and Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigades will be deactivated. All MEDEVAC units will move from 15 aircraft capacity to 12. Army Training and Doctrine Command and Futures Command will combine into a single entity. About 400 positions will be cut. Cancel the planned activation of two reserve artillery units. Cancel the planned activation of three reserve electromagnetic warfare companies. Move 4th Battalion, 60th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to Fort Bliss, Texas. Shut down the 4th Security Force Assistance Brigade and 54th Security Force Assistance Brigade. Army Reserve will get two High Mobility Artillery Rocket System battalions and three HIMARS batteries. Establish Western Hemisphere Command by combining U.S. Army North, Forces Command and U.S. Army South; 339 positions will be eliminated. Related: Soldiers Face Tougher Reenlistment Rules as Army Plans Troop Reductions
Miami Herald
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
US Ally Revives Aircraft Carrier Plan Amid North Korea Threat
South Korea, a United States ally, is set to revive its plan to construct an aircraft carrier amid threats from its nuclear neighbor, North Korea, local media reported. Newsweek has contacted South Korea's military for comment by Facebook message. The North Korean Embassy in China did not immediately respond to a request for comment. North Korea has been threatening to use force against South Korea, which is protected by U.S. forces stationed in the country. The Pentagon has frequently deployed aircraft carriers to the Korean Peninsula to demonstrate its commitment and extended deterrence to its ally. While North Korea's naval power remains inferior to that of the U.S. and South Korea, it is bolstering its navy by building missile-armed destroyers and a nuclear-powered submarine. Recently, U.S. and South Korean navies conducted a joint drill to strengthen their ability to counter simultaneous attacks. This came after the North Korean launch of multiple short-range ballistic missiles over the Sea of Japan-referred to as the East Sea in South Korea. The South Korean military will move forward with its aircraft carrier project after making modifications, newspaper The Chosun Daily reported on Monday. The original plan called for the construction of a 30,000-ton vessel equipped with F-35B stealth fighter jets. Under the revised project, the proposed aircraft carrier will be transformed into a "multifunctional unmanned combat force command ship," capable of carrying dozens of drones for a range of missions, including combat, self-detonation, surveillance and reconnaissance. A self-detonation drone, also known as a kamikaze attack drone, is designed to crash into its target. North Korea tested this type of drone last November and put it into mass production. Citing the South Korean military, the report said the navy recently presented the new plan to a defense committee of the National Assembly. The so-called "drone carrier" will be capable of responding to North Korean threats by conducting strikes, as well as raid and landing operations. The project was first launched under the Moon Jae-in administration, which held office from 2017 to 2022. However, it was suspended by the succeeding administration, led by President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was removed from office last month for his declaration of martial law. The South Korean navy tested the "drone carrier" concept last November, when a Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft-capable of short takeoffs and landings-launched from the amphibious landing ship ROKS Dokdo and landed at a ground base. This demonstrated the versatility of short takeoff and landing capability aboard a warship not designed for fixed-wing aircraft, the South Korean navy said at the time, which also proved that new capabilities can be added without costly, major modifications to existing warships. The South Korean navy said: "We have taken into account the situation of future maritime warfare and the development of artificial intelligence, unmanned technology, etc. It is necessary to…build an unmanned composite combat system as soon as possible." Specialist outlet The War Zone said: "The Republic of Korea Armed Forces already operates a wide range of drones, ranging in size from Israeli-made Harpy loitering munitions to U.S.-supplied RQ-4B Block 30 Global Hawk high-altitude, long-endurance, remotely piloted aircraft." Republic of Korea is the official name of South Korea. According to The Chosun Daily, the modified, drone-equipped aircraft carrier could be constructed as early as the late 2030s, if a final decision is made within the year. Related Articles US and Ally Stage Naval Drills in Warning to North KoreaNorth Korea Fires New Missile Warning at US and AlliesMap Shows Where China Is Imposing Fishing Ban on NeighborsNorth Korea Photos Offer Glimpse of Kim Jong Un's Tank Factory 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Stop Buying MQ-1C Gray Eagle Drones Army's Top Leadership Decrees
Procurement of the MQ-1C Gray Eagle for the U.S. Army may end as part of a wide-ranging force-structure overhaul, which raises questions about whether the service may look to retire the fleet sooner than expected. This comes as the drone's manufacturer continues to develop modernized versions of the Gray Eagle, as well as add new equipment and capabilities. Plans for the fate of future MQ-1C acquisitions are made clear in a joint memo from Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, released yesterday. 'We will cancel procurement of outdated crewed attack aircraft such as the AH-64D… and obsolete UAVs like the Gray Eagle,' the pair stated. 'Our Army must transform now to a leaner, more lethal force by infusing technology, cutting obsolete systems, and reducing overhead to defeat any adversary on an ever-changing battlefield,' George and Driscoll state. Other assets that the Pentagon wants to cut under the Army Transformation Initiative (ATI) include various ground combat systems, among them the HMMWV (High Mobility Multi-purpose Vehicle, better known as the Humvee) and the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV). In response, C. Mark Brinkley, a General Atomics spokesman, told TWZ: 'When we talk to actual Gray Eagle operators with experience using the aircraft in combat, and infantry soldiers who have brought them to bear on the adversary, the universal feedback is that the Army needs more, not less.' Nevertheless, the joint memo from George and Driscoll comes on the heels of an April 30th memo from U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. This had called for the Army to divest 'outdated, redundant and inefficient' programs in favor of new priorities, including long-range precision munitions and air and missile defense. However, Hegseth's order does not mention specific platforms, but does also call for the 'end [of] procurement of obsolete systems' including 'outdated UAVs.' Derived from the Air Force's Predator, the basic MQ-1C — originally known as the Warrior — was tailored for warfare in the Middle East, using a heavy-fuel piston engine instead of a turboprop, and was intended to be operated by a cadre of enlisted soldiers. The MQ-1C, which first started entering Army service in the late 2000s, is a medium-altitude, long-endurance drone. Designed to perform intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and attack missions, the uncrewed aircraft has a sensor turret under the nose equipped with electro-optical and infrared cameras and can carry munitions and other stores, including advanced sensor systems, on up to four hardpoints, two under each wing. The Army employs Gray Eagles independently, as well as in crewed-uncrewed teams with AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters. As of 2019, the Army had acquired at least 204 MQ-1Cs, 101 of which were delivered in the enhanced Extended Range configuration. Noteworthy is the fact that GA-ASI has already made efforts to ensure that the MQ-1C is better able to meet the demands of a future conflicts, which could include an expeditionary peer confrontation rather than a counterinsurgency fight. Continued efforts produced the Gray Eagle 25M version, first flown in December 2023. A first order for the new drone was placed for the Army National Guard only last year. Among the new features of the Gray Eagle 25M are an improved heavy-fuel engine, increased onboard power, significantly reduced maintenance requirements, and the Expeditionary Ground Control System. Designed to reduce the footprint of both personnel and materials, this system allows soldiers to fly missions from tents, buildings, or mobile shelters, making it easier to rapidly relocate or deploy to remote sites without traditional infrastructure. The Gray Eagle 25M also has an improved flight computer, with five times more processing capacity, and a modular open-system architecture to ensure new capabilities can be integrated quickly and relatively cheaply. According to GA-ASI, these might include new weapons and long-range sensors. The Gray Eagle 25M has also been at the forefront of GA-ASI experiments involving air-launched effects. This has also been conducted with a view to increasing effectiveness and survivability, for example, using the drone to lob air-launched effects toward enemy air defense systems on a large contested battlefield. At the same time, the Gray Eagle 25M can transmit data gathered by those smaller drones to other friendly elements, be they aircraft, long-range fires, or other platforms. Gray Eagle is also being tested as a drone interceptor, which you can read more about here. Additional development has produced the Gray Eagle STOL, or Short Takeoff and Landing variant. This incorporates technology that was first demonstrated on the company-funded Mojave demonstrator, a heavily armed drone descended from the Gray Eagle and tailored for operations from remote or austere locations with rough strips and limited logistical support. While the Pentagon's leadership may have gone cold on the MQ-1C, at least for now, General Atomics insists that the drone still has an important role to play, including in peer conflicts. 'The Army's RSTA [reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition] mission is not going away in the future, and nor should its ability to conduct those operations without getting soldiers killed,' GA-ASI's Brinkley told TWZ. Brinkley also noted that the modernized Gray Eagle 25M, Gray Eagle STOL, and EagleEye radar were all developed by the company 'despite low funding priority and an unclear vision from the U.S. Army that has forced Congress and others to make bold moves on behalf of America's soldiers.' At the same time, Brinkley appeared to acknowledge that there is a considerable capability and performance gap between the original MQ-1C and the Gray Eagle 25M and Gray Eagle STOL now being offered. Coincidentally, the memo from George and Driscoll was published the same day as General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) announced details of the MQ-1C's participation in the Army's Project Convergence event, billed as a modernization experiment and based out of Fort Irwin, California, and surrounding ranges. An MQ-1C Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER) version participated in Project Convergence Capstone 5 (PC-C5), which ran throughout March. The drone in question was equipped with commercially available next-generation long-range sensors that were operated by the Army throughout the event. According to GA-ASI, the drone 'flew unimpeded by the employed electronic threats and generated targets of interest at Multi-Domain Operations (MDO)-relevant ranges for the 82nd Airborne Division and participating units.' The full sensor fit for the MQ-1C involved in PC-C5 comprised modernized communications intelligence (COMINT), electronic intelligence (ELINT), synthetic aperture radar/moving target indicator (SAR/MTI), and Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) radios, all of which make use of the drone's open architecture. 'The GE-ER was operated at an altitude and range that negated kinetic threats and utilized the long-range sensors to effectively detect, identify, and target threat emitters and vehicles,' GA-ASI said in a media release. That the MQ-1C is potentially vulnerable even when faced by lower-end adversaries has been amply demonstrated by the scale of losses suffered by the still-growing number of shootdowns of U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. The growing vulnerabilities of the MQ-9 Reaper — the larger cousin of the Army's MQ-1C — saw the U.S. Air Force abruptly announce its desire to stop buying those drones, citing concerns about growing vulnerabilities. The service has also said in the past that it could retire the drones for good by 2035, but has continued to take deliveries of new examples in the meantime. According to General Atomics, new versions of the Gray Eagle are 'similar to [the original MQ-1C] in name only, just as the rifles today's soldiers carry are nothing like the rifles of the Continental Army. Without these aircraft, tomorrow's U.S. Army faces an uphill battle that quadcopters and other low-endurance, low-capability gadgets cannot hope to overcome in a future fight. Backpack drones have a place on the battlefield, but they cannot replace the force multiplication of Gray Eagle.' This final point reflects the focus on new kinds of drones as outlined in Hegseth's memo, which calls for prioritization of 'inexpensive drone swarms capable of overwhelming adversaries. At this stage, the cuts proposed under the Army Transformation Initiative remain a Pentagon recommendation, and any major divestments of equipment and disbandment of units are likely to face plenty of pushback. Nevertheless, the call to step away from the MQ-1C does provide useful insight into the kinds of aerial platforms the Pentagon wants to see the U.S. Army operating in its future force structure. Contact the author: thomas@
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Yahoo
MQ-1C Gray Eagle Is Shooting Down Drones With Hellfire Missiles In Tests
The MQ-1C Gray Eagle uncrewed aerial system (UAS) has used the AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missile, in conjunction with its onboard radar, to shoot down a drone in live-fire tests, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has confirmed to TWZ. While there is currently a major drive in the development of different counter-UAS (C-UAS) systems involving kinetic and non-kinetic solutions, using the Gray Eagle to bring down drones using Hellfire missiles is a new and intriguing development. GA-ASI has 'demonstrated live-fire takedown using Longbow Hellfire from Gray Eagle to eliminate a small UAS,' C. Mark Brinkley, a company spokesman, told TWZ. Arming the adaptable Gray Eagle with Hellfire missiles is not the only counter-UAS option that GA-ASI is currently pursuing with this platform. 'Additionally, our company-funded, live-fire demo of podded miniguns from Gray Eagle STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) conducted last year offers another interesting and affordable kinetic option for counter-UAS operations,' Brinkley added. 'These flying trash cans simply aren't built to withstand incoming 7.62mm rounds, and the miniguns could offer other armed overwatch options not previously explored.' This is a reference to the Dillon Aero DAP-6 Minigun pods, a weapon system that has been live-fire tested from the GA-ASI Mojave demonstrator drone at the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Ground. The Mojave demonstrator has now led to the Gray Eagle STOL version of MQ-1C, which has a configuration tailored for operations from remote or austere locations with rough strips and limited logistical support, with an emphasis on supporting various kinds of expeditionary and distributed operations. More recently, General Atomics has touted the Gray Eagle STOL's capabilities in experiments on aircraft carriers and big-deck amphibious assault ships. General Atomics' Brinkley said the company plans to unveil a new kinetic option for Gray Eagle STOL 'in the next few months that would further lower the price tag for C-UAS response, while also increasing accuracy and flexibility.' It's unclear if this is a reference to the aforementioned Longbow Hellfire, although the reference to reduced costs would seem to point to another, cheaper option, perhaps a laser-guided rocket. As well as kinetic and non-kinetic means of bringing down hostile drones, GA-ASI has also adapted onboard sensors to allow its drones to detect, track, and then engage the UAS in the first place. 'We have conducted numerous flight tests using our Lynx and EagleEye radar systems for target acquisition and tracking of small UAS,' Brinkley confirmed. The EagleEye synthetic aperture radar can detect and track ground targets out to 50 miles and maritime targets out to 124 miles, although its capability against aerial threats is not presently known. However, with a new active electronically scanned array (AESA) antenna and associated software for EagleEye being developed, this will further increase its range and add to its multi-mode performance. These flight tests are especially significant in that they have utilized the proprietary GA-ASI radars in an air-to-air mode to provide detection, including in the critical look-down mode, and onboard weapons cueing. Meanwhile, GA-ASI is also continuing to work on a drone-mounted podded laser for C-UAS missions. The podded laser, which the company says is now in development as a concept, was shown mounted on an MQ-9B SkyGuardian drone in a graphic at the Air Force Association's 2025 Warfare Symposium in Aurora, Colorado, last month, and again this month at the Sea-Air-Space Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. GA-ASI appears to be primarily pitching this pod for fleet defense against one-way attack drones. General Atomics Unveils Laser Combat Module for MQ-9B Drone:: #LaserWeapon #DroneDefense #GeneralAtomics #HELWS #MilitaryTech #DirectedEnergy #RedSea #UkraineConflict #AirDefense #DefenseTechnology #Drones #Tryzub #CruiseMissileDefense — DefenseMirror (@DefenseMirror) April 14, 2025 Brinkley says the company already has 'a very mature laser technology' for this application. However, it should be noted that, in general, airborne lasers have been much harder to realize than originally envisioned, with many programs related to them cancelled on technical grounds, as you can read about here. At this point, however, the standout item is the live-fire trials of Longbow Hellfire aboard a Gray Eagle drone for the C-UAS mission. Bearing in mind the fast-growing trend for harnessing new ways of neutralizing the drone threat, combining the Gray Eagle and Lockheed Martin's AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire for this application makes a lot of sense. At the same time, there is already a precedent for using Longbow Hellfire, which is millimeter-wave radar-guided instead of laser-guided like other Hellfire variants, to shoot down drones. While the AGM-114 Hellfire was developed as an air-to-ground weapon and has been mainly used as such, the Longbow variant does have an air defense role against drones. Notably, Israel has been using the AH-64 Apache in attack helicopters in an air defense capacity for years, including one well-known shootdown of a Hezbollah drone close to the Syrian border. An AH-64 'Apache' Attack Helicopter with the Israeli Air Force conducting a Successful Interception of an inbound Hezbollah Attack Drone, this morning over Northern Israel. — OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) August 25, 2024 In October last year, the U.S. Army published a video showing its AH-64D Longbow Apache helicopters practicing detecting and destroying enemy aerial drones while forward deployed to the Middle East, a region where the drone threat — especially from one-way attack munitions or 'kamikaze drones' — has exploded in recent months. . @USArmy Soldiers engage an unmanned aerial system (UAS) from an AH-64 with upgraded Hellfire missile during Red Sands training exercise in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. @usarmycentral — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) September 30, 2024 The Army video appears to show a variant or modification of the Longbow Hellfire, with initial cuing for its millimeter-wave radar seeker provided by the Apache's AN/APG-78 Longbow mast-mounted radar system. The same radar can detect and track aerial targets, such as lower-flying helicopters, and also aerial drones. The Longbow Hellfire also has a demonstrated capability to engage aerial threats when launched from other platforms, including ones on the ground. More recently, the U.S. Navy carried out a crash program to enable its Freedom class Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) armed with AGM-114Ls to employ them against drones. The LCSs originally received the radar-guided Hellfires to help defend against swarms of small boats. While the U.S. military still has significant stocks of AGM-114Ls in inventory, the missile is out of production. Lockheed Martin's new AGM-179A Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM), which has a dual-mode laser and millimeter-wave radar guidance package, is now entering U.S. service as a successor to other Hellfire variants. It could also supplant the Longbow version, including in the air-to-air role. At this point, it should be recalled that the U.S. Air Force has successfully integrated the AIM-9X Sidewinder heat-seeking air-to-air missile onto its MQ-9 Reaper drone, this combination scoring its first ever air-to-air kill in an exercise in 2017. Not long after that, the service announced that it was looking to give at least some of these unmanned aircraft the ability to take on aerial threats, providing them with a significant self-protection capability that could also be complementary to the drone-hunting developments for the MQ-1C. While it's not clear how the UAS target was detected and tracked in the Gray Eagle C-UAS live-fire experiment, specifically, it may be that one of the aforementioned Lynx or EagleEye radar systems, produced by GA-ASI, was used. In another scenario, the radar could be used for the detection of a drone threat, with the Multi-Spectral Targeting System (MTS) then used for identification and laser designation, should laser weapons be used on the Gray Eagle in the future. However, the engagement played out, the potential of a drone-killing combination of Gray Eagle and Longbow Hellfire is compelling. For the most part, C-UAS systems are ground-based, meaning their flexibility and responsiveness are necessarily limited. In contrast, a drone like the Gray Eagle can be redirected to provide a counter-drone capability wherever it might be most needed. The drones can also be forward-based, operating very close to ground forces. They can then be launched fairly rapidly in response to incoming threats. This is especially the case for the Gray Eagle STOL version. The short-field capabilities found in the Gray Eagle STOL were ported over from the Mojave demonstrator, the stated performance of which includes a takeoff run of 400 feet for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, or 1,000 feet when armed with 12 Hellfire missiles. Furthermore, a Gray Eagle drone carrying Hellfire missiles — or a combination of these and other weapons — would not be a single-role platform, as many more traditional C-UAS systems are. As well as intercepting drones, the Gray Eagle could offer armed escort for ground forces and provide overwatch with its sensors. Highly significant is also the endurance of these drones, which are able to stay on station for 24 hours or more. This persistence is ideal for providing surveillance in a C-UAS scenario, as well as screening for drones transiting a given area, creating something like a combat air patrol (CAP). While fighter aircraft have increasingly taken on a drone intercept role with great success, they are very costly and can only stay on station for short periods of time without refueling support. On the other hand, they can run-down drones in scenarios where a Gray Eagle could not. Still, for lower volume threats and for point defense applications over or near a specific target area, the MQ-1C could be extremely valuable. The Longbow Hellfire does remain a higher-end solution for dealing with lower-end drones. As we have discussed in the past, it costs around $215,000 to buy a single, basic AGM-114, with the radar-guided Longbow models costing even more. Still, this is far cheaper than common air-to-air missiles, which have at lease double the cost. In the case of the workhorse AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), the unit price is around $1 million a round. This is all very likely driving interest in an even cheaper kinetic C-UAS option for Gray Eagle. The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) laser-guided rocket, for example, is far less costly than a Hellfire, coming in at around $25,000-30,0000 per round. A rocket-based weapon like APKWS II would also provide the Gray Eagle with a much larger magazine of effectors, although only one drone could be engaged at a time due to the type's laser guidance. Still, getting into a position to employ APKWS II would be more of a challenge for MQ-1C than a fighter aircraft, especially rapidly against multiple targets. F-16s have been effective at employing APKWS II against drones over the Red Sea. A new APKWS II model that offers pseudo-fire-and-forget capability with the help of an additional infrared seeker is in the works, which will simplify engagements and reduce the time it takes to prosecute them. Potentially even more important for overcoming these cost and magazine depth issues are laser weapons, like the aforementioned podded design that General Atomics is working on now, provided this challenging technology can be mastered. While there are still many questions around GA-ASI's Gray Eagle/Longbow Hellfire C-UAS trials, they underscore how drones themselves are increasingly being seen as an effective counter to the UAS threat, especially at the lower end of the scale. Contact the author: thomas@
