Mojave

Mojave is a short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) unmanned combat aerial vehicle developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) of the United States, built on the avionics and flight controls of the MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-1C Gray Eagle-ER. It is designed to operate armed reconnaissance and strike missions from short, unimproved runways rather than the long paved airstrips the Predator family normally requires, and remains in flight-test and demonstration status.

Overview

GA-ASI began developing the STOL concept in 2017 and flew the Mojave prototype for the first time in 2021, officially unveiling the aircraft that December. The company presents it as the newest member of its Predator-series family of remotely piloted aircraft, aimed at expeditionary operations where runway access is limited or contested, including island airstrips, highways, unprepared dirt strips and aircraft carriers. In 2025 GA-ASI and South Korea's Hanwha Aerospace announced cooperation on Mojave's development and potential manufacture for South Korean, US and other international customers; as of GA-ASI's September 2026 schedule, a critical design review for a production configuration was planned for November 2026, with first flight of that production aircraft expected in 2027.

Design and capabilities

Mojave has a 16 m wingspan and is 9 m long, with a maximum take-off weight of 3,175 kg powered by a single Rolls-Royce M250 turboprop rated at 450 shp. GA-ASI's datasheet lists a maximum endurance beyond 25 hours, a maximum airspeed of 140 kt (about 259 km/h) and a maximum altitude of 25,000 ft (7,620 m). The aircraft uses GPS-based and SATCOM anti-jam data links for both line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight control, with a quoted ferry range of 2,500 nautical miles (about 4,630 km) over SATCOM; that figure is a transit range rather than an operational mission radius. GA-ASI's datasheet lists two takeoff distances depending on load: about 122 m with an ISR payload, or about 304 m carrying 12 Hellfire missiles, and the company advertises hardpoints for up to 16 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles in total, with GPS/SATCOM anti-jam data links and support for EO/IR, SAR/GMTI, SIGINT and communications-relay payloads.

GA-ASI has run several flight demonstrations to test the STOL concept beyond the datasheet figures. In August 2023 the aircraft flew from a dirt strip near El Mirage, California, with takeoffs as short as 586 ft (179 m) and landings as short as 335 ft (102 m). In November 2023 it demonstrated short takeoffs and landings from the Royal Navy carrier HMS Prince of Wales without catapult or arresting gear, which the manufacturer presented as a first for an aircraft of this class rather than as an established carrier-strike capability. In April 2024, at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, GA-ASI fitted Mojave with two Dillon Aero DAP-6 gun pods and fired roughly 10,000 rounds across seven passes against static ground targets over two flights. In September 2026, working with Hanwha Aerospace, Mojave flew from a conventional South Korean airfield to an unimproved military vehicle trail at Seungjin Training Field, taking off and landing again on the rough trail in under 200 m and about 100 m respectively, carrying inert weapon loads without refuelling or rearming at the site.

Operational history

No operator has placed a confirmed production order for Mojave, and GA-ASI describes current test aircraft as development demonstrators whose full weapons and support capabilities are not yet qualified for operational service. Demonstration partners to date include the UK Royal Navy (carrier trials) and South Korea's Hanwha Aerospace and army aviation units (rough-terrain trials), alongside GA-ASI's own flight-test programme in the United States.

Frequently asked questions

What makes Mojave different from the MQ-9 Reaper?

Mojave reuses Reaper and Gray Eagle-ER avionics and flight controls but is built for short takeoff and landing, letting it fly from dirt strips, highways and aircraft carrier decks instead of the long paved runways the standard Predator family needs.

Has Mojave entered service?

No. As of late 2026 it remains in flight-test and demonstration status, with a production-configuration critical design review planned for November 2026 and first flight of that configuration expected in 2027.

How much weight can Mojave carry?

GA-ASI's datasheet gives a maximum take-off weight of 3,175 kg and a useful load of about 1,542 kg, which covers fuel and payload combined; the aircraft can carry up to 16 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles.

How short a runway does Mojave need?

GA-ASI's datasheet lists takeoff distances of about 122 m with an ISR payload and about 304 m carrying 12 Hellfire missiles; test flights have shown shorter distances on prepared dirt strips and rough vehicle trails.