General Atomics Mojave
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| General Atomics Mojave | |
|---|---|
| Role | Unmanned combat aerial vehicle |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | General Atomics Aeronautical Systems |
| First flight | Summer 2021 |
| Status | In Development |
| Number built | 1 |
| Developed from | General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle |
The General Atomics Mojave is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of short takeoff and landing (STOL), being developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. First unveiled on December 9th, 2021, General Atomics states that it is to fulfill the roles of reconnaissance, close air support and armed overwatch. [1]
Design and Development
Development on the Mojave began around 2018 or 2019.[2] It features a configuration similar to that of the MQ-9 Reaper, with a low-mounted wing, bulbous nose and Y-tail. The engine, an Rolls-Royce M250 Turboprop, is mounted in a pusher configuration. two main things that set this aircraft apart from the rest of the Predator Family are its wings and landing gear, however. The wings are enlarged, featuring "high-lift devices"[3], and feature little to no leading-edge or trailing edge wing sweep. The landing gear of the Mojave is also more reinforced when compared to other UAVs, featuring wide tires and thick shock absorbers, as well as more pronounced torque links. It also has bushwheel-style tires, used to assist on landing in rough terrain. A key design feature of the Mojave is its transportability- It can be broken down and transported via a C-130 Hercules or similarly-sized aircraft. It can then be ready for a mission in around 1.5 hours with a four-person team.[3]
The Mojave completed its first test flight in summer of 2021, and was formally unveiled by GA on December 9th, 2021.
It is being developed to fulfill the role of an unmanned combat aerial vehicle that can operate from more rugged terrain with a combat loadout, while also offering the option to be outfitted with various electronic systems to assist ground troops. Some of these roles include signal intelligence (SIGINT) and moving target indication, as well as use of synthetic-aperture radar and electro-optical sensors.[1] The STOL capabilities of the Mojave have further lead to the proposition of it being used as a carrier aircraft for naval operations. [1]
The Mojave is planned to be controlled using General Atomic's Scalable Command and Control (SC2) System, which is currently being developed for use on the MQ-1C Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER), and likely will be able to operate from already-established General Atomics ground stations, such as the Certifiable Ground Control Station (CGCS) or Block 30 Ground Control Station. Use of the SC2 System will allow the operator to preform pre-flight, taxing, takeoff, and landing operations on-site by a pilot.[4][2]
Specifications
Data from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. Data Sheet [3]
General characteristics
- Crew: 0 onboard, 1 in ground-station
- Length: 52 ft 6 in (16 m)
- Wingspan: 29 ft 6 in (9 m)
- Max takeoff weight: 7,000 lb (3,175 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 3,550 lbs
- Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce M250 turboprop, 450 shp (340 kW) with
Performance
- Ferry range: 2,900 mi (4,600 km, 2,500 nmi)
- Endurance: 25+ hours
Armament
- 7 hardpoints
- Up to 650 lb (290 kg) on the four inboard weapons stations
- Up to 350 lb (160 kg) on the two outboard stations
- Up to 500 lb (230 kg) on the center station
- Up to 16 AGM-114 Hellfire air to ground missiles can be carried
See Also
Related development
- General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper
- General Atomics MQ-1 Predator
- General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle
- General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger (formerly Predator C)
Related lists
References
- ^ a b c "General Atomics Mojave". General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, inc. General Atomics. 2021-12-09. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
- ^ a b Trevithick, Joseph (9 December 2021). "General Atomics' Rough Field-Capable Mojave Drone Breaks Cover". The Drive. Recurrent. The Drive. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
- ^ a b c "MOJAVE Dedicated ISR and Weapons Solution for Today's Warfighter" (PDF). ga-asi.com. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
- ^ "GA-ASI's New SC2 Software Offers Massive Savings for Gray Eagle ER Teams". General Atomics. General Atomics. Retrieved 12 December 2021.