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The U.S. Army’s most substantial drone is the MQ-1C Gray Eagle,
an Army-specific variant of the Air Force’s retired Predator drone. Unlike
the smaller unarmed RQ-7 Shadow employed in brigade combat teams and in Apache cavalry units,
the Gray Eagle is suited for both recon and strike missions. It’s capable of carrying
up to four AGM-114 Hellfire missiles in its attack configuration, two in an attack/recon
configuration, or none if time in the air or other payloads are the priority.
But drones don’t actually need to be armed to bring about a target’s destruction.
Both the Gray Eagle and all Shadow V3s, 2 per Shadow V2 platoon, can use laser designators to
guide in Hellfires fired from other aircraft. This means the unmanned Gray Eagle can do the
risky business of spotting and maintaining contact with the enemy, while another Apache
or Gray Eagle lets off a Hellfire. This can allow manned aircraft to remain concealed
and takes advantage of the Hellfire’s max range to hopefully outrange enemy short-range air defenses.
During counter-insurgency operations, it was noted how Gray Eagles could allow partnered Apaches to
engage targets in dense urban terrain. Buildings and winding streets meant the Apaches couldn’t
necessarily see targets, so Gray Eagles could maintain a vantage point directly over an area.
But in addition to just acquiring a target, Gray Eagles can help in positively identifying
one. Because even if an Apache can detect something and recognize it as a vehicle,
a UAV might be better positioned to differentiate between an enemy tank and a civilian semi-truck
or friendly APC. The Apache even has the added benefit of being able to receive
a live video feed directly from partnered UAVs, improving their situational awareness.
Alternatively, if an Apache unit receives a call for fire from a ground unit, the Apaches can relay
it to a Gray Eagle. The UAV can covertly engage from a high altitude and allow the
Apaches to stay concealed. However, because Gray Eagles normally fly at those higher altitudes,
the airspace has to be deconflicted to avoid friendly fire by setting up a restricted
operations zone or ROZ. The ROZ limits who can enter the air space to who needs to be there,
and is also something you’d see below an AC-130 firing its weapons.
If you’re familiar with ground warfare, cavalry or recce units can provide early warning of
enemy activity to protect friendly forces. Same concept with UAVs. UAVs can be deployed forward,
on the flanks, or to the rear of a flight of helicopters to provide it with aerial security.
This increases the situational awareness and survivability of manned helicopters.
But unlike an Attack/Reconnaissance Squadron, which has 4 Shadow UAVs in each Apache troop,
Apache-equipped Attack Battalions have no UAVs of their own. So they have inferior recon capability
unless Gray Eagles are attached or assigned in support from division.
An example of a notional Attack Battalion task force could be a
battalion headquarters company leading two Attack Companies (each with 8 Apaches),
an assault helicopter company with 10 Blackhawks, 3-ship MEDEVAC platoon,
4-ship Gray Eagle Platoon, forward support company and aviation maintenance company.
But Gray Eagles can also support helicopter assaults or MEDEVACs,
providing security for the manned helicopters by identifying targets, terrain, and signs of life.
Gray Eagles can launch hours ahead of a main force to gather info about the target area and route.
And with their superior endurance, Gray Eagles can extend the distance aviation can push out
in front of a ground unit, increase the amount of time aviation remains in contact with the enemy,
and allow commanders to preserve and mass manned aviation at a decisive point.
To compare, Apaches have an average fuel endurance of about 2 hours,
while a standard Gray Eagle can stay in the air for up to 22 hours. And Extended Range upgrades
increase endurance to up to 40 hours, which translates to a 1,000 kilometers round trip to
target area and 14 hours of loiter time. Although this is reduced when carrying two Hellfires.
This lends unmanned aircraft to stealthy, slow and deliberate reconnaissance tasks
that minimize surprise contact with the enemy and requires long loiter times.
While manned aircraft lend themselves more to rapid reconnaissance focused on
a few key tasks and forceful recon where aircraft are ready to engage the enemy.
Close cooperation between UAVs and manned helicopters actually
has a neat little doctrinal term: manned-unmanned teaming, or MUM-T.
This cooperation can be very close or more distant depending on the level of integration, known as
levels of interoperability. The least close is level 1, where imagery and data is fed from the
Gray Eagle to the ground controllers flying it, who then disseminate it to ground units.
Level 2 is when the supported unit, such as an Apache or troops in contact, are fed imagery
directly from the UAV, but the ground station retains control. Level 3 allows for an Apache
crew to directly control the UAV’s weapons payload and sensors. And Level 4 allows for an Apache
to directly control the UAV in its entirety with ground supervision, with the exception
of takeoff and landing. Level 5 also includes takeoff and landing but isn’t currently done.
The closest levels of interoperability are the ones that get the most attention
online. The loyal wingman completely controlled by manned aircraft does
have an appeal. But after talking to a soldier in an Air Cav unit,
it seems more like a neat trick than a practical capability in most cases.
Because an Apache crew already has a lot going on operating their own aircraft,
directly controlling a second aircraft can easily lead to task overload. I’ve been
told that it’s more efficient for an Apache crew to direct a ground controller instead,
which is sufficient most of the time. So level 2 or 3 is the norm for MUM-T integration.
But Gray Eagle units can also maneuver independently to satisfy the division
commander’s recon and surveillance requirements, and in fact fly for the division most of the
time. The difference between recon and surveillance is the former is active,
focused on obtaining information on the enemy, terrain or weather in a specific zone,
area or route; while surveillance is the passive observation of a given area. So for example,
a UAV being sent forward to see if a road has any obstacles, signs of enemy troops,
or unforeseen damage is reconnaissance. While continuously observing a possible
avenue of enemy attack to make sure no one slips through is surveillance.
As secondary missions, Gray Eagles can also conduct strikes, act as a communications
relay for ground forces, or act as an air data relay for other aircraft. Gray
Eagles can continuously loiter over an area of operations (which is a plus for the latter),
but are also limited on firepower and the limited field of view of their sensors.
Those issues can be mitigated though by unmanned teaming involving multiple UAVs.
Multiple Gray Eagles provide multiple sensors and more weapons on target,
while still freeing up manned aircraft. Alternatively,
unarmed and more expendable Shadow UAVs could act as the hunter for a killer Gray Eagle.
But the enemy does also get a vote. The Gray Eagle was ultimately introduced in the middle
of a counter insurgency and has been used mainly in uncontested airspace. They generally operate at
higher altitudes so are especially susceptible to medium- and high-altitude air defense.
Although man-portable air defense systems or MANPADS
are less of a threat at a service ceiling of
25,000 feet, part of the point of more capable air defense systems is to deny those higher altitudes.
The road ahead in that regard is more capable avionics and ordnance.
Rather than relying on video cameras to acquire targets,
it’s possible to use a synthetic aperture radar to spot military targets from 75 kilometers away.
As far as striking targets, the Gray Eagle Extended Range upgrade has been tested with
GBU-69 Small Glide Munitions that extend the Gray Eagle’s strike range from 8 to
32 kilometers. As well, small air-launched drones, called Air Launched Effects, may also
be on the menu for the Extended Range version to further extend its vision into hostile airspace.
They could also act as jammers, decoys,
or weapons themselves to expand the usefulness of the Gray Eagle.
These features combined could allow the Gray Eagle to stay out of range
of most of Russia’s maneuver unit air defense systems, like MANPADS, Strela-10 and Tor-M2.
They’d still be vulnerable to fighter aircraft and strategic air defenses like the S-400,
which are more for protecting key infrastructure than maneuver units. But one has to wonder whether
a Russia-type opponent actively suppressed by the US Air Force and saturated with higher
value aircraft would have the luxury to spend its most capable SAMs on Gray Eagles.
Still, the war in Ukraine shows that attrition rates for fixed-wing long-endurance UAVs like the
Bayraktar are high in large-scale conflict and they need permissive conditions to do
their missions effectively. Although one would hope America’s three fixed wing air
forces are more capable of creating favorable conditions than the Ukrainian Air Force is.
But in addition to the survivability of the aircraft itself, the survivability of
the ground control station and datalink are also issues for drones in general.
The current conflict has also shown that ground control stations can be targeted
and destroyed by artillery. To counter this threat, part of the upgrades will include
the ability to be controlled via multiple satellite constellations. This is meant to
allow for uninterrupted flight and ground operators to be well beyond line of sight.
Aside from enemy threats, there are other limitations. The Gray Eagle requires a 4,500
by 100 foot improved runway, which is about 1.4 kilometers long. This compares to older
versions of the Shadow, which could launch from a catapult and land on a 710 foot or 216 meter
unimproved runway. Although I’m told V2 and V3 Shadows require some hardness. This means a Gray
Eagle company might have to be geographically separate from the rest of the aviation brigade,
which is mostly helicopters that don’t need runways. That requires
more robust logistics and communications to integrate the Gray Eagles into ops.
But what do Gray Eagle units actually look like?
Gray Eagles are held in 15 UAS or unmanned aerial system Companies. 11 are part of the combat
aviation brigades in each active duty division excluding the new 11th Airborne. Although the
25th Infantry Division’s Gray Eagle Company is stationed at Fort Wainwright in Alaska and
attached to the 11th. 2 are part of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, and 2 are
part of the 116th Military Intelligence Brigade, known as the aerial exploitation brigade. As of
2019 there were also 11 training aircraft and 13 float aircraft, for a total of 204 in the fleet.
When deployed, each company operates one Gray Eagle system that includes 12 MQ-1C aircraft,
6 ground control stations, and other systems for passing data and auto landing the aircraft.
These systems are distributed amongst 3 Flight Platoons capable of operating independently
from different airstrips. Companies part of the US Army Special Operations Command and
Intelligence and Security Command also have a 4th platoon of people but no UAVs. This
allows for more launch sites. Divisional Gray Eagle companies can support up to
2 separate launch sites, while echelon above division companies can support 3.
Each platoon has an HQ, Ground Control Section, and Launcher/Recovery Section.
They’re led by a Chief Warrant Officer 3, who is a subject matter expert in unmanned
aircraft systems. They’re assisted by a Sergeant First Class as Platoon Sergeant.
The Ground Control Section consists of a UAS Operations Technician ranking Chief Warrant
Officer 2 and 8 enlisted Gray Eagle operators.Unlike a helicopter unit,
where the pilots are all warrant officers or commissioned officers, UAV operators in the Army
are enlisted soldiers. So even a Specialist can command authority when it comes to piloting a UAV.
At least one, a Sergeant on paper, is specifically qualified and designated as an instructor/operator
that trains and evaluates the other crew members. Another, nominally a Staff Sergeant,
is designated as the MQ-1 Sergeant. These operators have to take shifts in order to ensure
they get enough rest in between missions, and take more rest if the unit conducts surge operations.
During normal operations, divisional companies can have three aircraft in
the air continuously when operating from two launch and recovery sites,
or four when the company is consolidated at a single site.
But during surge operations, the Gray Eagle company can generate up
to 5 missions a day with split basing or 6 missions a day if consolidated.
But this is less sustainable over time and operators need a day's rest after surging.
At least two operators are required for most missions,
with the exception of when the UAV is acting as a data relay for other aircraft.
Meanwhile, the Launch and Recovery Section consists of an instructor/operator,
nominally a Staff Sergeant, and 5 other MQ-1 Operators. Both sections have a truck-mounted
ground control station, and the launch and recovery section has automatic takeoff
and landing systems that allow Gray Eagles to launch and recover without operator interaction.
The drones themselves are held in the UAS Maintenance Platoon, which includes an HQ
and three Maintenance Sections. The platoon is led by an Aviation Maintenance Technician,
while each 8-man section is led by a Staff Sergeant. Each section has 2 larger semi-trailer
flat beds for transporting the 4 UAVs, which can be disassembled and transported in compact crates.
The Platoon also in theory has an aviation maintenance augmentation team
with Gray Eagle Repairers and two Aircraft Structural Repairers. The difference is
MQ-1 Repairers are focused on their specific aircraft’s systems and related hardware like
the ground control stations, while Aircraft Structural Repairers fabricate new parts if
the airframe itself is damaged. Although I’m told in reality,
the Grey Eagle relies on General Atomics field service representatives or FSRs to work on the
air frame. And the 15Gs referenced in the MTOE don’t actually work on Grey Eagle air frames.
At the company-level there is an Automotive Maintenance Section for maintaining the
ground vehicles in the unit. For the most part it consists of Wheeled Vehicle and Engine Mechanics.
A Class 3 and 5 Section supplies the company with fuel and ammunition,
including among other things 2 HEMTT fuel tankers, 2 ATLAS all-terrain forklifts,
2 semi-trailers, and 2 HEMTT trucks with trailers.
And lastly, there’s the Company Headquarters and Flight Operations Section. The former is
only somewhat different from any other company HQ, including the Commander ranking Major, as opposed
to the typical Captain, Executive Officer ranking Captain as opposed to a Lieutenant,
a First Sergeant, Supply Sergeant, Signal NCO, CBRN NCO, Medic, and Supply Specialist.
The Flight Operations Section does some of the jobs of a battalion HQ.
The section does day-to-day flight-related activities like coordinating airspace,
maintaining air crew records, mission planning,
and managing flight schedules. Other aviation companies don’t typically have this element as
part of their MTOE, as Gray Eagle companies are organizationally independent of any battalion.
A flight operations officer will do things like brief the commander on
the unit’s flying capabilities, aircraft availability, and the status of crews.
So what are the key points to remember?
The main job of the Gray Eagle is to conduct reconnaissance, surveillance,
and target acquisition missions. It can also do armed reconnaissance and conduct its own
strike missions. However, carrying Hellfire missiles reduces the time it can spend in the
air significantly and it’s less well-armed and survivable than an Apache attack helicopter. But
UAVs and helicopters can employ MUM-T to make forces more survivable and flexible overall.
Other non-combat roles for the Gray Eagle include acting as a communications relay
for ground forces, or as an air data relay for other aircraft.
Gray Eagles are known to be vulnerable during high intensity conflicts, and the intended solution is
increasing the stand-off range of the aircraft to limit their susceptibility to air defenses.
If you like content on modern militaries, check out this video on Ukraine’s armored raid behind
enemy lines to free thousands of trapped troops in 2014. We’ll see you over there.