On 15 April, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) announced on its website that it had signed a contract with the US Army to upgrade the MQ-1C Gray Eagle® Extended Range (ER) with an ELINT sensor. This will improve the electronic intelligence capabilities of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
The MQ-1C is a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAV developed by General Atomics for the U.S. Army. It is an advanced derivative of the earlier MQ-1 Predator. By 2019, the US Army had procured around 204 MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAVs, including 101 in the extended-range variant.
Introduced into service with the US Army in 2009, the Gray Eagle serves as its primary platform for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), while also providing precision strike capability with AGM-114 Hellfire and AIM-92 Stinger missiles, as well as GBU-44/B Viper Strike guided bombs.
Designed for persistence, the Gray Eagle can remain airborne for 25–30 hours, carrying electro-optical/infrared sensors, radar and communications relay systems to support real-time battlefield awareness and targeting. It has seen extensive operational use in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, proving critical for counter-insurgency operations by providing continuous overwatch, tracking high-value targets, and conducting precision strikes with reduced risk to ground forces.
Signing the contract for the ELINT upgrade will further enhance the capabilities of the Gray Eagle. The ELINT sensor system supports long-range sensing for the Integrated Air Defence System (IADS) by identifying and geolocating threats crucial for Joint Force Operations, providing ground commanders with key data in this regard. Improving the electronic intelligence capabilities will allow the MQ-1 to operate beyond enemy engagements range, providing detailed battlefield insights, facilitating advanced manned–unmanned teaming, and increasing the survivability of crewed aircraft.
“Combining long-range detection with the range and persistence of the Gray Eagle platforms ensures that commanders always know when an adversary IADS is operating,” said President of the GA-ASI, David R. Alexander, and added: “Gray Eagle’s open systems architecture makes this a simple but impactful upgrade.”
To improve the electronic support capabilities of the UAV through the integration of advanced radar detection and signal collection technologies, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. will collaborate with the Capability Programme Executive Intelligence and Spectrum Warfare (CPE ISW), and Sierra Nevada Corporation.
In multiple US Army demonstrations, the MQ-1C Gray Eagle ER has been configured not only with ELINT sensor but also with modernised Communications Intelligence (COMINT), Synthetic Aperture Radar/Moving Target Indicator (SAR/MTI) and Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) radios. This highlights the C5ISR Modular Open Suite of Standards (CMOSS) architecture of the platform. The Gray Eagle UAV can be rapidly adapted to emerging threats or specific missions by integrating cutting-edge sensors, payloads, and weapons.
In 2025, the MQ-1C Gray Eagle ER was featured in the US Army’s Project Convergence Capstone-5 (PCC-5), during which the unmanned aircraft performed continuous detect, identify, locate and report (DILR) missions in an electronically contested environment. During these trials, the UAV provided mesh network aerial tier support to manoeuvre units, connecting soldiers and enabling effects that would otherwise have been obstructed by terrain or beyond the range.
The PCC-5 demonstrated the ability of the Gray Eagle ER UAV to transform contact, fight and survive capabilities by automating operator input through user-friendly human-machine interfaces. The aircraft integrated and cross-cued ELINT, COMINT, SAR and Aerial Tier Network Expansion (ATNE), remaining resistant to enemy jamming and enhancing the survivability of the friendly manoeuvre forces, while supporting the Combined Joint Task Force.
Cover photo: The MQ-1 Gray Eagle during a joint force exercise at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by John Zierow) General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. press materials were used.
All photos © U.S. Department of Defence (DoD). DoD information materials were used, in compliance with Public Domain licence. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
