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The US Congress has approved funding for 12 MQ-1C Gray Eagle 25M drones for the 2023 fiscal year. This emerges from a communication from the manufacturer of the unmanned aerial vehicle system (UAS) General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI).

According to GA-ASI, the funding that has now been approved was preceded by a request from the US states, which want to use the Gray Eagle drones to enable the US Army National Guard units for Multi Domain Operations (MDO). In addition, the units should be deployed more quickly and the possibility of working together with the newly established Division Artillery Brigades (DIVARTY) should be strengthened. The new drones would also improve disaster management and homeland security capabilities, GA-ASI said.

Weiterhin heißt es in der Mitteilung, dass der GE-25M mit dem neuen Eagle-Eye-Multimode-Radar und elektrooptischen/Infrarot-Sensoren ausgestattet sei und eine breite Palette zusätzlicher kinetischer und nichtkinetischer Nutzlasten aufnehmen könne. Damit stünde den Verbänden der Nationalgarde erstmals ein ISR-System (Intelligence, Surveillence und Reconnaissance) auf Divisionsebene zur Verfügung.

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A 2021 US Army National Guard procurement request for the MQ-1C Gray Eagle reads: "The Army's active force currently operates the MQ-1C Gray Eagle and MQ-1C Gray Eagle Extended Range (ER) while the Army National Guard does not. It is important that this Army National Guard aircraft be available as the Army's primary combat reserve to meet the National Defense Strategy (NDS) and doctrinal requirements for the eight National Guard divisions.” Overall, the document notes the flow of at least 24 Gray Eagle systems required. The current financing thus only meets half of the requirements announced two years ago.

The US Army and US Air Force National Guards are part of the US Armed Forces Reserve and report to the respective states in which they are based.

Editorial staff / oh