General Atomics has achieved another aviation milestone as its medium-class Mojave Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) carried out the first short take-off and landing (STOL) on a simulated battlefield before returning to its mission.
When discussing the rise of drone warfare, coverage usually spans small handheld copters to huge jet-powered, long-endurance aircraft. There's a tremendous variety of designs, as you can see if you wander through any serious industry airshow, but most have essentially one of two missions: to act as loitering munitions, missile carriers, or reconnaissance platforms.
That's not to say that there isn't tremendous potential or some extremely strong motivation to find new applications for the technology. The hurdle at the moment is to show that drones, especially Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) UASs, can take on tactical missions under battlefield conditions.
A recent demonstration conducted in partnership with Hanwha Aerospace in Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea (ROK) validated this capability saw a Mojave class III drone depart from a conventional airfield to join joint air operations.
During its sortie, the 29-ft-long (9-m) aircraft with a 52-ft (16-m) wingspan was ordered by ground control to land on an unimproved, rough dirt trail in the simulated battlefield of the sort that usually handles the movement of tanks and field artillery.
According to General Atomics, the Mojave made a successful landing, then made a short takeoff before resuming its mission. The purpose of the test was not only to demonstrate the flight capability but the capacity of an aircraft of the Mojave class to take on forward tactical operations, including dirt-strip landing, re-arming, and re-fueling under combat or hazardous conditions.
The Mojave is still under development, with its Critical Design Review set for late 2026 and its first production flight planned for 2027.
"This demonstration showcased Mojave’s ability to perform tactical missions that are representative of real battlefield requirements and challenges," said GA-ASI CEO Linden Blue. "Whether the user needs contested and austere battlefield operations, ISR, weapons delivery, Air-Launched Effects deployment, troop resupply, counter-UAS, or missions requiring short and unimproved roads for takeoff, our aircraft answer the bell."
Source: General Atomics
