The Arizona National Guard will become the first state to establish a unit equipped with the unmanned aircraft system, or UAS, known as the Gray Eagle 25M.
According to Monday’s announcement by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, which manufactures the aircraft, the Arizona Guard will receive eight Gray Eagle 25Ms by September 2027 and four more by the end of 2029.
Patrick Shortsleeve, the company’s vice president of Defense Department strategic development, called the aircraft “an integral part of the Army Aviation team” as it works closely with advanced autonomy and manned rotary-wing systems to outpace threats.
“The Gray Eagle has a proven record of performance with 1 million hours of safe operations, including automatic takeoff and landing capability,” he said. “When you factor in its extensive capabilities, the Gray Eagle is a cost-effective UAS that excels as an enabler for Fires, Maneuver, Network, and Intelligence operations.”
The National Guard’s goal, according to General Atomics, is to create a UAS company in each of its eight infantry divisions. The Arizona Guard is part of the 40th Infantry Division, which covers 11 other states or territories and is headquartered in California.
“Once fully operational, the Gray Eagle 25M can deploy in support of global missions for Combatant Command (COCOM) commanders and defend against threats in the Western Hemisphere,” the company said, adding that currently, Congress has funded three Gray Eagle 25M guard units.
The Gray Eagle 25M, the newest edition of the decades-old Gray Eagle UAS, made its first flight in December 2023. That same month, the federal government awarded General Atomics a $389 million contract to develop the system.
According to the company, the “M” in the 25M stands for “modernized,” as the aircraft has been upgraded to use an open architecture design, advanced datalinks and a newer propulsion system.
The changes enhance its ability to modify capabilities, resist electronic threats and provide a greater payload capacity and longer flight time than its predecessor.
Daniel Terrill is a contributor to Military Times. He’s been reporting on military issues, the gun industry, and the outdoors for nearly two decades. Although writing is his passion, he’s been a Marine, police officer, and, perhaps the most dangerous job of his career, a substitute teacher.
