South Korean firm Hanwha Aerospace and American company General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) have agreed to collaborate in developing and producing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for the global defense market.
The announcement follows a successful flight demonstration on November 12, 2024, when GA-ASI’s Gray Eagle STOL aircraft took off from a South Korean warship and landed at a ground base—”the first-ever” such mission for an aircraft of this type.
The partners launched Gray Eagle STOL from the South Korean navy’s amphibious landing ship Dokdo underway at sea off the coast of Pohang, South Korea. The unmanned aircraft system then flew to Pohang Navy Airfield and landed normally.
This demonstration illustrated the Gray Eagle STOL’s ability to operate from a variety of aircraft-capable vessels, paving the way for new approaches to multi-domain operations for the U.S.
“Hanwha Aerospace views unmanned systems as a strategic pillar for the future of defense ,” said Dong Kwan Kim , vice chairman of Hanwha Group.
“Through our collaboration with GA-ASI, we aim to strengthen sovereign defense capabilities, expand Korea’s presence in the global UAS market, and contribute to a more robust ROK-U.S. alliance.”
“We’re excited to extend and deepen our business relationship with Hanwha,” stated GA-ASI CEO Linden Blue , who oversaw the at-sea demonstration.
“Our test flight with the Gray Eagle STOL was well-received by the Republic of Korea Navy, and we know Hanwha is ready to invest in growing a UAS business with GA-ASI in Korea and the U.S.”
The Ministry of National Defense for the Republic of Korea is initially evaluating GE STOL for its ability to meet its emerging military requirements. South Korean navy, army and other officials were asked to evaluate Gray Eagle STOL and supported the test.
Hanwha Aerospace plans to invest more than 750 billion KRW ($517 million) in development and production facilities for the Gray Eagle STOL and UAS engines.