Small Unmanned Aerial Systems and Launched Effects
The Next Big Thing Is Small
The new wave in intelligence, surveillance, & reconnaissance (ISR) and multi-role effects – small Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS)/Launched Effects (LEs) are small, uncrewed aircraft or payloads launched from ground-based or air systems that enhance the warfighter’s ability to operate in complex environments and counter emerging threats. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) is leveraging more than three decades of experience across nearly 9 million flight hours to deliver advanced, affordable, and attritable combat air power with a game-changing generation of unmanned platforms. GA-ASI’s offerings are tailorable solutions designed to autonomously or semi-autonomously deliver effective ISR, counter the threat of similar aircraft, conduct electronic warfare and suppress enemy air defenses across all domains.
Why Go Small
Compact size doesn’t mean low capability – it means low-risk, low-cost, modular solutions that bring mass to the warfighter. Warfighters can deploy stand-in effects from standoff distances with the ability to detect, identify, and neutralize adversary threats. These advanced platforms can amplify the capabilities of current and future crewed or uncrewed platforms by increasing survivability and expanding sensing & targeting for air, ground, and naval forces.
Eaglet
GA-ASI’s Enhanced Air and Ground Launch Effect Technology (Eaglet) is a low-cost, survivable air vehicle that can be launched from a large UAS, a rotary-wing aircraft, or from the ground. It extends the reach of various sensors and can deliver kinetic effects with unmatched precision in contested environments.
Precision Exportable Launched Effect
Inspired by Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of powerful natural forces in the Pacific, the Precision Exportable Launched Effect (PELE) delivers explosive power and lightning precision in the battlespace. PELE is a semi-autonomous multi-mission SUAS platform designed to carry diverse mission payloads, including an onboard electro-optical infrared sensor for full-motion video, munitions, and more. Whether launched from the wings of a medium-altitude, long-endurance UAS, like the MQ-9B, or a ground-based launch system, PELE delivers a variety of powerful effects – from ISR to strike. Built for the global aerospace and defense market, PELE is the ultimate attritable force multiplier.
Sparrowhawk
Sparrowhawk is a multi-mission recoverable SUAS that deploys from the wing of an unmanned aircraft to deliver cutting-edge capability – ISR, SIGINT / ELINT, and jamming – inside a nimble and speedy airframe. Ideal for contested environments, Sparrowhawk’s size makes it difficult for adversaries to spot. UAS such as the MQ-9 Reaper® or MQ-9B SkyGuardian® can launch Sparrowhawk and then recover it mid-flight.
When deployed from an MQ-9 or similar platform, Sparrowhawk provides:
- Expanded mission capability
- Collaborative autonomy
- Distributed and disaggregated sensors across the battlespace
- Below-the-weather sensor coverage
- Attritable sensor capability in highly contested environments
LongShot
Developed and funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, LongShot revolutionizes air combat as an uncrewed air-launched interceptor that presses into hostile airspace to employ air-to-air weapons. Its ability to be deployed from a standard weapons station enables every host platform to contribute decisively to air superiority. LongShot is the affordable option, delivering unparalleled stand in and standoff capabilities – redefining air power.
Operating in a New Era of Air Warfare
SUAS are taking unmanned aerial combat to new levels and GA-ASI continues to innovate ahead of need by accelerating new technologies that address the complex challenges of the evolving security landscape. Thanks to advances in autonomy and multi-aircraft control pioneered by GA-ASI, integrating smaller UAS with larger unmanned aircraft is now a reality.
With modular payload provisions to carry out mission objectives, GA-ASI’s advanced SUAS/LE capabilities are leading the way in distributed aerial networking and joint all-domain command & control. As a benefit of the company’s leadership in advanced manufacturing, GA-ASI’s small unmanned aerial systems can be produced at scale and speed to deliver affordable, highly relevant mass to the warfighter, today.