This article is published in Aerospace Daily & Defense Report part of Aviation Week Intelligence Network (AWIN), and is complimentary through Oct 31, 2026. For information on becoming an AWIN Member to access more content like this, click here.
General Atomics MQ-1C.
The U.S. Army plans to release a request for proposals soon for its General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle replacement program, building on feedback through both a previous solicitation and a “challenge” program to collect insight on the current capabilities available.
The Group 4+ Vertical/Short-Takeoff-and-Landing (VSTOL) effort looks to field a long-endurance, multimission aircraft for reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition. Maj. Gen. Phillip Baker, the commander of the Army’s Aviation Center of Excellence, said on the sidelines of the Association of the United States Army conference that the service “got a lot of feedback from industry on that. We’re taking that information, and then we’re going forward” with the RFP.
Baker says the focus is beyond just the airframe, but a broader uncrewed aircraft architecture that would enable it to operate, provide information to soldiers and collaborate with other aircraft. This includes taking work that other military services are doing on similar aircraft to keep costs down as much as possible, he says.
“That short VTOL is really about the architecture more than it is about the actual platform,” he says.
A few companies have announced their proposals for the program. Shield AI at AUSA announced it is pitching the X-Bat uncrewed fighter aircraft as a potential offer for the Army. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems is expected to offer the Mojave, a derivative of the Gray Eagle capable of STOL. Anduril in July announced the tiltrotor Thunder uncrewed aircraft system.
Related Content
