General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has completed its first-ever take-off from a warship at sea. The company said it logged "another aviation milestone" on Nov. 12, 2024, when its Gray Eagle STOL aircraft took off from the South Korean Navy’s amphibious landing ship Dokdo, which was underway at sea off the coast of Pohang, South Korea. The Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) then flew to Pohang Navy Airfield and landed normally.

South Korea's Ministry of Defence s 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.

“The demo highlighted the versatility of STOL aboard a warship, in the Dokdo, designed not for fixed-wing aircraft but solely for helicopters," said South Korean Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Yang Yong-mo. "Gray Eagle STOL’s flight proves that navies can add significant new capability without costly major modifications to their existing warships.” 

GASA said the Gray Eagle STOL – which stands for short takeoff and landing – is the only medium-altitude, long-endurance aircraft of its kind that can operate from large-deck warships such as amphibious ships and aircraft carriers, as well as short and unimproved fields on land. The test with the South Korean military further validates the aircraft’s capability and versatility. 

“We applaud the South Korean navy for its foresight in examining the unique capability of GE STOL for its fleet," said GA-ASI CEO Linden Blue. "This demonstration illustrates the ability of the GE STOL to safely operate on many types of aircraft-capable ships, which opens myriad new ways our allies can use this UAS to support multi-domain naval operations.” 

Hanwha Aerospace is engaged with General Atomics to support national defence with technology suited for a multi-domain warfare environment.

“The demonstration is a crucial step in verifying how the GE STOL can contribute to defence capabilities, and I am honored to witness this alongside the Republic of Korea Navy, to whom I extend my deepest gratitude for conducting the test,” said Hanwha Aerospace CEO and president Jae-il Son.  

 Gray Eagle STOL is General Atomics’ name for the production variant of the historic aircraft demonstrator known as Mojave.

In November 2023, GA-ASI and Mojave performed a demonstration of STOL takeoff and return landing aboard an aircraft carrier in an event with the UK Royal Navy’s HMS Prince of Wales, which is smaller than a typical US aircraft carrier at 932 feet long (284m) and 240 feet wide (73m). At only 653 feet long (199m) and 102 feet wide (31m), the Dokdo class is considerably smaller than the Prince of Wales,