The Mojave drone has completed what its developers called the first-ever battlefield short-field operations by a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) uncrewed aircraft.
The demonstration, conducted by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) and Hanwha Aerospace with the Republic of Korea (ROK) Army, took place at military facilities north of Seoul.
Pilots operating from ground control stations launched the short takeoff and landing (STOL) drone from a conventional runway at the ROK Army’s 513th Aviation Battalion.
Mojave then flew to the Seungjin Training Field, joined aerial operations, and landed on a rough maneuver trail used by tanks and artillery vehicles.
The aircraft took off again from the trail, resumed its mission, and returned to the aviation battalion.
GA-ASI said troops could use such forward sites to refuel and rearm Mojave during combat before sending it back into the air.
Configured with dual weapon rails and inert payloads, the MALE drone tested a concept of operations intended to demonstrate how short-field capability could support missions from austere locations.
The California-based firm claimed that “no other aircraft with Mojave’s endurance, range, or payload has this ability.”
A US-Korea Partnership
GA-ASI and Hanwha announced plans in 2025 to co-develop and co-produce an STOL uncrewed aircraft for South Korea, the US, and other international customers.
A critical design review for the production Mojave STOL is expected in November, with its first flight scheduled for 2027.
The Mojave demonstrator will also appear at Hanwha’s Industry Day on September 21 alongside South Korean suppliers expected to support production.
“This demonstration marks an important milestone in delivering tangible results through the partnership between Hanwha and GA-ASI,” said Buhwan Lee, Hanwha Aerospace CEO nominee.
“Going forward, we will work closely with the ROK defense industry to develop unmanned systems designed for future operating environments and expand our presence in global markets.”
