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A General Atomics Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft vehicle flew for 45 hours nonstop during the first of two endurance tests for the U.S. Army.
That test was intended to simulate a reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition mission for the Improved Gray Eagle derivative UAV, General Atomics said Tuesday.
The IGE will undergo another test later this year, where it will carry a wing-mounted external payload and weapons.
General Atomics is building the IGE to have an internal fuel capacity of 850 pounds plus an optional external tank with 450 pounds, compared to the previous version’s 575 pounds.
IGE payloads are built to hold 540 pounds, an increase from the Gray Eagle’s 400 pounds, with the maximum takeoff weight slated to go up from 3,600 pounds to 4,200 pounds.
