--- title: "Gray Eagle STOL Drone Flies From South Korean Amphibious Assault Ship" description: "The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) Gray Eagle STOL drone has undertaken its first experimental operations from a warship, taking off from the deck of the South Korean [amphibious assault ship *Dokdo*](). The Gray Eagle STOL — a design we…" date: "2024-11-13" modified: "2024-11-13" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick" url: "https://www.twz.com/air/gray-eagle-stol-drone-flies-from-south-korean-amphibious-assault-ship" categories: - "Air" - "Air Forces" - "Amphibious Assault Ships" - "Around The Globe" - "Drones" - "Indo-Pacific" - "News & Features" - "Republic of Korea Air Force" - "Sea" - "South Korea" - "Unmanned" tags: - "Mojave" - "MQ-1C Gray Eagle" --- # Gray Eagle STOL Drone Flies From South Korean Amphibious Assault Ship ![The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) Gray Eagle STOL drone has undertaken its first experimental operations from a warship, taking off from the deck of the South Korean amphibious assault ship Dokdo. Gray Eagle STOL — which we have discussed in depth in the past — incorporates technology first demonstrated on the company’s Mojave, which was specifically developed with the ability to perform short takeoffs and landings, including from rough fields, with minimal support. The latest development adds to the aviation-capable warships that the wider family of Q-1 lineage drones have now operated from.]() *ROKN* The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) Gray Eagle STOL drone has undertaken its first experimental operations from a warship, taking off from the deck of the South Korean [amphibious assault ship *Dokdo*](). The Gray Eagle STOL — a design we have [discussed in depth in the past]() — incorporates technology first demonstrated on the company’s [Mojave](), which was [specifically developed]() with the ability to perform short takeoffs and landings, including from rough fields, [with minimal support](). The latest development adds to the aviation-capable warships that the wider family of [Q-1 lineage drones]() have now operated from. https://www.twitter.com/cmarkbrinkley/status/1856706964576747578 The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) confirmed the test took place yesterday, November 12, in the East Sea — the South Korean name for the Sea of Japan. Officials confirmed that this was the first time that a fixed-wing drone of any kind operated from an ROKN vessel. The Gray Eagle STOL drone came aboard the *Dokdo* disassembled, was then reassembled and tested for a week, before taking off from the deck of the vessel. The drone flew for roughly one hour, before landing at a Naval Air Command facility in Pohang, around 170 miles southeast of Seoul. The ROKN said that communications were maintained between the drone, the warship, and the Naval Air Command, although it’s unclear where the control station for the drone was located. As far as we know, the drone did *not* land on the *Dokdo* at any point in the trials. ![]() *The Gray Eagle STOL at the rear of the flight deck of the *Dokdo* amphibious assault ship in the Sea of Japan. *ROKN** ![]() *The Gray Eagle STOL prepares for launch. *ROKN** The Gray Eagle STOL used in the trials very clearly carries the U.S. civilian registration N450MV, indicating that it’s the same airframe as the original Mojave demonstrator, modified to the latest standard, or at the very least given a new coat of paint. As GA-ASI puts it, “Gray Eagle STOL is General Atomics’ name for the production variant of the historic aircraft demonstrator known as Mojave” — but it remains unclear what, if any, changes have been made to the actual aircraft. ![]() *The General Atomics Mojave. *GA-ASI** The *Dokdo* class appear to provide a suitable platform for exploring operations by fixed-wing drones — and could potentially field them on a permanent or regular basis in the future. The *Dokdo* class LPH is 652 feet long, 101 feet wide, and has a displacement of 19,500 tons. ![]() *The Gray Eagle STOL gets aloft from the *Dokdo* amphibious assault ship in the Sea of Japan. Note the plane guard helicopter airborne to the rear. *ROKN** As it stands now, the *Dokdos* are configured to carry a complement of around 10 medium-lift helicopters, such as the ROKN’s [UH-60P Black Hawks]() or [Leonardo AW159 Wildcats](). In the past, South Korea looked at using the *Dokdo* class design as a springboard to develop [a true fixed-wing capable aircraft carrier]() that can embark F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) stealth fighters. More recently, those plans — for the so-called CVX — [were dramatically scaled back](), with Seoul instead choosing to invest in its increasingly capable submarine fleet. ![]() *A model of the fixed-wing-capable CVX aircraft carrier design from Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), displayed at the International Maritime Defense Industry Exhibition 2021. *YouTube screencap** These changing priorities may well have helped generate interest in fixed-wing drone operations, instead. In the process, GA-ASI is gaining more experience in operating its Gray Eagle STOL and related Mojave from the decks of different warships. Almost exactly a year ago, *TWZ* [reported]() on the experimental operations involving the Mojave aboard the U.K. Royal Navy’s [HMS *Prince of Wales*](), the first time the drone had operated from an aircraft carrier. For its part, the Royal Navy is increasingly looking to harness the capability offered by uncrewed aircraft for its carrier force. ![]() *A Mojave drone during trials from the deck of HMS *Prince of Wales*. *GA-ASI** With a 901-foot-long flight deck, HMS *Prince of Wales* (and its sister vessel [HMS *Queen Elizabeth*]()) offers more ‘real estate’ for Gray Eagle STOL operations than the *Dokdo* class, which has a flight deck length of just under 653 feet. Unlike the Gray Eagle STOL trials on the *Dokdo*, the Mojave demonstration on HMS *Prince of Wales* involved a takeoff and a landing. The dimensions of the *Dokdo* may well put some limits on Gray Eagle STOL’s load-carrying capability. While we don’t have the figures for Gray Eagle STOL, according to GA-ASI, the Mojave has a takeoff run of 1,000 feet when armed with 12 [AGM-114 Hellfire]() air-to-surface missiles. However, when configured for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, the Mojave’s takeoff distance is reduced to just 400 feet. Provided the figure is broadly the same for Gray Eagle STOL, this would be ample when operating off from the South Korean warship. The addition of an electromagnetic catapult on big deck amphibious assault ships, which is [of rising interest with navies around the globe](), could potentially allow an aircraft like Gray Eagle STOL to operate at higher gross weights from their decks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3SQ50wxvCY&t=1s When the Mojave was first unveiled, GA-ASI pointed out that its improved short-field performance and rugged landing gear would also make it suitable for carrier-based operations. What’s more, these can be conducted without any need for a catapult to launch the drone or arresting gear during recovery. The same characteristics have now been ported over to the Gray Eagle STOL. At the same time, the Gray Eagle STOL adds new features that were not found on the Mojave, including the various technologies introduced on the improved [Gray Eagle 25M](). This drone was developed to provide the U.S. Army with the option to procure a more advanced version of the MQ-1C Gray Eagle, with various enhancements specifically designed to better meet the demands of a future conflict with a peer or near-peer state. ![]() *The Gray Eagle STOL launches from the *Dokdo* amphibious assault ship in the Sea of Japan. *ROKN** The new features on the Gray Eagle 25M — now found on the Gray Eagle STOL — include an improved heavy-fuel engine, increased onboard power, significantly reduced maintenance requirements, and an expeditionary laptop-based ground control station. In [our previous coverage]() of the Mojave, we discussed how the drone would likely be suitable for use not only from aircraft carriers like the *Queen Elizabeth* class, but also from large assault ships without launch and recovery gear like the *Dokdo* class — not to mention the U.S. Navy’s [*America* class]() landing helicopter assault (LHA) and [*Wasp* class]() landing helicopter dock (LHD) ships. The same applies to the Gray Eagle STOL. ![]() *The Mojave demonstrator on the deck of the U.K. Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier HMS *Prince of Wales*. *Crown Copyright** Maritime missions for the Gray Eagle STOL or the Mojave could include overwatch of the amphibious assault task group, including the beachhead, or overwatch during force protection missions in ‘brown water’ or littoral environments. Carrying surveillance equipment, the drones could also expand the reach of the *Dokdo* class during [anti-submarine warfare operations](), making good use of the unarmed Mojave’s endurance of between 10 and 12 hours when launched off a carrier-sized landing area with no weapons. Since the Gray Eagle STOL and the Mojave can also be armed, these missions could be extended to persistent armed overwatch, or even strike, including close air support of an amphibious assault, for example. Moreover, having armed drones would bring an entirely new fixed-wing combat capability to the *Dokdo* class, which currently relies on helicopters to provide extended anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. ![]() *The full Mojave product card. *GA-ASI** When operating in ‘blue water’ environments, these types of drones could also prove very valuable as networking and communications relay nodes, as well as acting as [electronic warfare platforms](), and even for airborne early warning. Overall, a MALE drone offers a set of capabilities that a helicopter simply can’t replicate. With their short range, helicopters cannot maintain a presence for many hours at a time, at extended ranges from the ship, or at the kinds of elevated altitudes that these kinds of drones can. These attributes translate to far superior line-of-sight performance and endurance, which would further free the host warship from relying on land-based assets and provide them with much improved organic capabilities. South Korea’s *Yonhap* news agency [described]() yesterday’s test as part of wider “efforts to better integrate and improve operations of manned and unmanned military equipment” within the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. While the plans to fly the Gray Eagle STOL from the *Dokdo* class landing platform helicopter (LPH) — two of which are in ROKN service — had not previously been publicized, South Korea’s efforts to introduce drones of various classes and types is significant. ![100727-N-6720T-080 Sea of Japan (July 27, 2010) ñ Republic of Korea Ship (ROKS) Dokdo (LPH 6111) steams in the Sea of Japan followed by USS Lassen (DDG 82) and USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) during operation ìInvincible Spirit.î The Republic of Korea and the U.S. are conducting the combined alliance maritime and air readiness exercise ìInvincible Spiritî in the Sea of Japan from July 25-28, 2010. This is the first in a series of joint military exercises that will occur over the coming months. (US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (SW/AW) Adam K. Thomas/RELEASED)]() *The *Dokdo* (LPH-6111) steams in the Sea of Japan followed by USS *Lassen* (DDG-82) and USS *Chung-Hoon* (DDG-93) during an exercise in the Sea of Japan in July 2010. *U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (SW/AW) Adam K. Thomas/RELEASED* MC3 Adam K. Thomas* 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. Locally developed drone programs include the Korean Unmanned System – Fixed-wing Strategic ([KUS-FS]()) medium-altitude, long-endurance drone, broadly similar to the U.S. [MQ-9 Reaper](), and the Korean Unmanned System – Vertical Helicopter ([KUS-VH]()), an uncrewed armed scout adaptation of the MD500 helicopter, and therefore equivalent to the [Unmanned Little Bird]() developed by Boeing. In the future, South Korea plans to field drones to complement the [KF-21 Boramae]() next-generation combat aircraft, as a means of boosting the potential of the crewed fighter as well as maximizing ‘combat mass.’ You can read more about the concept [here](). Last year, South Korea showcased [a new stealthy-shaped flying wing drone](), apparently intended to test technologies that could feed into ‘loyal wingman’ efforts as well as drones for potentially a wide range of other tasks. ![]() *A rendering of what manufacturer Korean Air is pitching as a “Stealth UAV Squadron” that includes a flying wing-type UCAV and multiple loyal wingman-type drones. *Korean Air** So far, however, drone activities by the ROKN have been more limited. Acquisitions have included the popular [Schiebel CAMCOPTER S-300]() unmanned air system (UAS), a small rotary-wing drone that can operate from the flight decks of even small warships. ![]() *The Gray Eagle STOL recovers to a land base in Pohang after its historic mission yesterday. *ROKN** At this stage, we have little idea of Seoul’s ambitions in terms of fixed-wing drone operations from the *Dokdo* class — or even future amphibious assault ships. Perhaps more importantly, at least in the short term, the trials aboard the *Dokdo* have further underscored the ability of both the Gray Eagle STOL and the Mojave to operate from ships of this size, something that is likely to be of interest to operators of other aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, even without launch and recovery gear. *Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()