General Atomics Mojave

Lore & Background

Development on the Mojave began around 2018 or 2019, initially aiming for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), but that was deemed impractical due to compromises in payload or endurance. The design shifted to a STOL configuration, preserving performance while requiring less runway space. It shares a similar configuration to the MQ-9 Reaper, with a low-mounted wing, bulbous nose, and Y-tail, but is distinguished by enlarged wings with high-lift devices (leading edge slats, double-slotted flaps, drooping ailerons) and reinforced landing gear with wide bushwheel-style tires for rough terrain. The Mojave can be broken down and transported via a C-130 Hercules, ready for mission in about 1.5 hours with a four-person team.

The Mojave completed its first test flight in summer 2021 and was formally unveiled on December 9, 2021. It is being developed as an unmanned combat aerial vehicle that can operate from rugged terrain with a combat loadout, and can be outfitted with electronic systems for signal intelligence (SIGINT), moving target indication, synthetic-aperture radar, and electro-optical sensors. In armed ISR mode from a 488 m runway, it can carry 12 Hellfire missiles with nine hours endurance. It can also mount M134D-H miniguns for strafing runs. The STOL capabilities led to proposals for naval carrier operations.

In May 2023, the United Kingdom announced it would acquire a Mojave system for seven months of trials aboard its ships. In November 2023, during the WESTLANT 23 deployment, a Mojave operated from a carrier, executing a take-off from an improvised angle without using the ski-jump, and landing un-arrested—the first time an uncrewed system of this weight class operated from an aircraft carrier outside the United States. On April 13, 2024, General Atomics conducted live fire tests with DAP-6 minigun pods, destroying ground targets and expending over 10,000 rounds. On November 12, 2024, the mass-produced version (Gray Eagle STOL) performed a take-off test from ROKS Dokdo, an amphibious assault ship of the Republic of Korea Navy.

Reader's Guide

The Mojave represents a significant step in adapting medium-altitude, long-endurance UAVs for expeditionary and naval operations. Its development shifted from VTOL to STOL to avoid payload and endurance penalties, resulting in a design that can operate from short, austere runways and even aircraft carriers. The aircraft's reinforced landing gear and high-lift wings enable it to take off from as little as 152 meters of runway, while still carrying substantial payloads such as 16 Hellfire missiles or minigun pods. Its transportability via C-130 and rapid reassembly make it suitable for forward deployments. The Mojave's carrier trials in 2023 and 2024, including operations from a UK carrier and a South Korean amphibious assault ship, demonstrated its potential for naval aviation. The live-fire tests with minigun pods in 2024 marked the first use of guns on a General Atomics UAS. The Mojave is also being used to demonstrate STOL capabilities for the upcoming MQ-9B STOL, a wing-kit for the larger MQ-9B. Its control system, the Scalable Command and Control (SC2) System, allows on-site piloting for pre-flight, taxi, take-off, and landing.

Did You Know?

• It can carry up to 16 Hellfire missiles or mount M134D-H miniguns for strafing runs.
• In November 2023, a Mojave became the first uncrewed system of its weight class to operate from an aircraft carrier outside the United States.
• The Mojave can be broken down and transported via a C-130 Hercules, and readied for mission in about 1.5 hours by a four-person team.