General Atomics Aeronautical Systems recently released details of a successful live-fire demonstration involving its Mojave unmanned aircraft system, the same type recently trialled onboard a British carrier.
Conducted on Apr. 13th, at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, the test validated the Mojave’s weaponisation capabilities and underscored its potential as a multi-mission tactical asset.
Partnering with Dillon Aero, GA-ASI equipped the Mojave with two DAP-6 Gun Pod Systems, each boasting a firing rate of 3,000 rounds per minute.
During the demonstration, the Mojave completed seven firing passes across two flights, successfully engaging and destroying static targets with an estimated expenditure of 10,000 rounds of ammunition.
“Seeing our Mojave perform this live-fire demo really emphasizes the versatility of the Mojave UAS and what it can do,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander.
“Mojave has the ability to act as a sensor, shooter, and sustainer while mitigating threat environments and vulnerabilities and safeguarding human lives.”
The Mojave’s unique selling point lies in its Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) capability. Unlike conventional UAS requiring extensive runways, the Mojave can operate from austere locations and unimproved landing zones. Notably, it successfully demonstrated carrier operations during a November 2023 collaboration with the Royal Navy.
This flexibility opens doors for deploying the Mojave in previously inaccessible theatres, significantly expanding its operational potential.
Large ‘Mojave’ drone flies from British aircraft carrier
In November last year, the largest uncrewed aircraft ever launched from a Royal Navy aircraft carrier paved the way for the next generation of UK naval air power.
Codenamed ‘Mojave’, the specially-modified aircraft – operated remotely by a ‘pilot’ at a computer terminal – took off from and safely landed back on board HMS Prince of Wales in a unique trial off the East Coast of the USA.
The drone can carry four Hellfire missiles.
No crewless machine its size – nine metres long, with a wingspan of 17 metres (six metres wider than an F-35B Lightning stealth fighter) and weighing more than 1½ tonnes fully loaded – has ever flown from an aircraft carrier outside the US Navy before.
“The Mojave trial is a European first – the first time that a Remotely Piloted Air System of this size has operated to and from an aircraft carrier outside of the United States,” said Rear Admiral James Parkin, Royal Navy Director Develop, whose team planned the trial.
“The success of this trial heralds a new dawn in how we conduct maritime aviation and is another exciting step in the evolution of the Royal Navy’s carrier strike group into a mixed crewed and uncrewed fighting force.”
I’m just scratching my head and thinking why would anyone think that’s a good idea ? Any thoughts ?
If it can work occasionally for CAS maybe good for strafing etc as long as someone is not sitting there with a SAM/Stinger. Thinking along the trench warfare in Ukraine it is good for suppressing fire whilst you attack a them. The other is perhaps for similar with air carriers against small boats.
It’s another feather in the Mojave’s cap I suppose and of use where the airspace isn’t contested and adversaries on the ground don’t have a surface-to-air capability …. so in saying so ….. it’s of limited use in most combat scenarios, surely? Possibly of more use in a counter-drugs operation where a shot across the bow would provide the necessary persuasion perhaps? To use this gun accurately enough, I presume the UAV would need to drop to heights where it would become more visible and therefore more susceptible to ground fire?
Can it hit other drones? if so it is cheaper defence than using missiles
Got I know what it’s for ! When landing on a carrier without a Catapult and it’s getting iffy. Just fire the guns and recoil stops you 🥴
Anti other drones is the only thing that makes sense, but USA have a bizarre fetish for gun based CAS.
But do not make sense for that propose a Gatling 7.62mm gun.
Seems USA still have too much money to waste..
Small boats and whatnot as well.
True but UAVs like Mojave aren’t likely to be the fastest at interception, especially if the area over which drones are attacking is wide. Swarm attack by drones has shown itself to be an issue we can’t ignore so I take your point but I think we need to focus on our prorities as far as air assets and carriers are concerned. Range extension of our F35s, in the form of In-flight refuelling, and a more effective, long endurance replacement for Crowsnest are where I’d focus.
I suppose sometimes you just want to warn people the next step is lethal force and a shot across the bows works with guns but not with missiles…as well as that time you want to suppress some people.
It’s probably a bit or very niche for a drone..,but sometimes you want something other than a very small number of pinpoint kills.
I would have liked to see a heavier calibre but perhaps the recoil effect of a heavier calibre would cause instability of the aircraft.
3000 rounds per minute and a 3000 round magazine (assuming per pod) is a nice amount of volume down range, so to speak.
Perhaps not massively useful but a nice option?
A nice option but at what price verses the utility? Would sooner see martlet on it. THAT would be useful.AA
Yes
Yes Martlet would be better.
Can Mojave use Martlet and Brimstone?
Off the top of my head they can carry up to 16 Hellfire missiles so I don’t see why Brimstone would be out of the question for integration. LMM would be fantastic to integrate if we end up operating them from our carriers in meaningful numbers, it would expand our surface defenses against USVs by a significant margin and take stress off of limited WildCat numbers from having to perform long range patrols.
Too big of a wingspan to fit on QE carriers effectively. Forget parking any F35B on the port side parking. Just get rid of the ramp, fit EMALS and develop a long range strike drone. The F35B can be solely for air defence and take off with full fuel and air to air fit without a ramp. problem solved
Are you suggesting launching F35b from ( the expensive ) EMALS rather than the Ramp ?.
I thought they’d developed a new wing that folds?
Doesn’t look too big at all. With the folding wing, it will be smaller than the F-35
Mojave is too small for the carriers. We need to wait for MQ-9B STOL. But as a smaller proxy it will let us know the way GA is thinking.
Boghammer bashing…
That is all.
For my money, I would be happy with LMM, Brimstone & Textron Fury (glide kit for the LMM warhead), for smaller targets of opportunity.
Alongside air-to-air refuelling & AEW