New Survival ALE Showcased in Technical Demonstration Using ARL and AvMC
San Diego – January 31, 2023 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) will first fly a new survivable Air-Launched Effect (ALE) on December 8, 2022 as part of a flight demonstration based at Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah. I was allowed to. Known as the Eaglet, the ALE was launched from the U.S. Army’s MQ-1C Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER) Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). The Eagle flight was jointly funded by GA-ASI and the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development (DEVCOM) Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC).
“Eagle’s maiden flight was an important milestone for the GA-ASI/U.S. Army team,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “Eaglet is intended to be a low-cost, survivable UAS with the versatility to be launched from a Gray Eagle, rotorcraft, or ground vehicle. But we can extend the range of the sensor and increase the lethality rate.”
Eaglet fits into the “ALE Large” category, which includes larger, more powerful sensors or payloads. Its design allows the Eagle to carry a diverse payload that supports multiple Army missions.
The Eagle design expands battlefield options while shortening the commander’s decision-making cycle. The Gray Eagle can carry thousands of kilometers before launching the Eagle while controlled by unmanned teaming or as a component of advanced teamed command and control concepts.
Eaglet can work with other long-range payloads carried by Gray Eagles, helicopters, or other platforms to support deep sensing in multi-domain operations.
With this successful flight of the Eagle, GA-ASI will work with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to pick it up in other exercises to further determine its potential. Eaglet is the latest entry in GA-ASI. evolution series Advanced UAS concepts.
About GA-ASI
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a leading designer and manufacturer of proven and reliable remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) systems, radar, electro-optical and related mission systems. is a company that Predator® RPA series and Lynx® multimode radar. With more than 7 million flight hours, GA-ASI is a long-lasting endurance vehicle with the integrated sensor and data link systems necessary to achieve persistent flight that enables situational awareness and rapid strikes. and mission-capable aircraft. The company also manufactures various ground control stations and sensor control/image analysis software, provides pilot training and support services, and develops metamaterial antennas. For more information, please visit www.ga-asi.com. 
Avenger, Lynx, Predator, SeaGuardian, and SkyGuardian are registered trademarks of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
