U.S. Army National Guard to Receive Gray Eagle 25M Drones to Boost Surveillance and Strike Capabilities.

On April 4, 2025, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) announced that the first of twelve Gray Eagle® 25M unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), funded through the U.S. Congress’ Fiscal Year 2023 defense budget, is on track for delivery to the U.S. Army National Guard beginning in 2027. This acquisition marks a pivotal advancement in the Guard’s aerial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, introducing a platform specifically engineered for multi-domain operations and operational dominance in contested environments.
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The Gray Eagle 25M unmanned aircraft system, set to enter service with the U.S. Army National Guard in 2027, brings next-generation surveillance, strike, and multi-domain capabilities. (Picture source: GA-ASI)

While the Gray Eagle 25M builds on the established legacy of the Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER) UAS (Unmanned Aerial System), the 25M variant incorporates an array of transformative enhancements that make it one of the most capable unmanned platforms in the world. Notably, it introduces an open-architecture Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), enabling rapid integration of new technologies and payloads, drastically reducing upgrade cycles and improving mission adaptability.

Technically, the Gray Eagle 25M boasts a strengthened airframe designed for higher durability and greater payload capacity. It is powered by a new heavy-fuel engine that provides increased power output, improved fuel efficiency, and better performance in extreme environments. The UAS offers more than 40 hours of flight endurance and can operate at altitudes above 29,000 feet. It supports a wide array of payloads, including advanced EO/IR sensors, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), electronic warfare (EW) systems, and long-range communications relay equipment.

Additional upgrades include triple-redundant flight control systems, autonomous taxi and takeoff/landing capabilities, and an advanced datalink suite to enable secure, resilient communications in GPS-denied or electronically contested environments. A redesigned tail structure and enhanced wing design support greater lift and stability, further improving mission endurance and sensor effectiveness.

The Gray Eagle 25M is built not just to collect data, but to control the battlespace. It can launch a wide range of effects, including air-launched loitering munitions (ALLMs) and other precision strike payloads, effectively transforming it from a reconnaissance platform into a forward-operating combat enabler. It can also serve as a node in the Army’s Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node (TITAN) network, integrating battlefield data in real time and supporting long-range precision fires.

Retired Colonel Denny Winningham, formerly of the Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 285th Aviation Regiment and now with GA-ASI, emphasized the operational value of the system:
“Gray Eagles provide persistent presence at operationally relevant ranges for sensors, payloads, and launched effects while requiring no risk of our U.S. soldiers,” said Winningham. “When we operate, we put Gray Eagle 25M in danger, not a human pilot and crew.”

Although derived from the existing Gray Eagle platform, the 25M introduces significant technological and operational overmatch. The upgrades are so substantial that Army National Guard units equipped with this UAS will possess unique capabilities not currently available to any other unmanned aviation units globally.

As Winningham further noted, “The new 25M model delivers the only relevant multi-domain operations capability available now and will sustain the Army National Guard as a relevant and reliable partner for active-duty divisions and cement the ARNG as the world’s premier combat reserve.”

In terms of strategic deployment, the initial twelve aircraft funded in the 2023 budget are just the beginning. Advocates within the defense community are pushing for additional procurement, including twelve more systems in the FY2025 budget and thirty-six more in FY2026. The 2025 funding is earmarked for the 40th Infantry Division, which includes National Guard units from California, Oregon, and Nevada. The 2026 budget proposal would support the 28th Infantry Division (Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Tennessee), the 35th Infantry Division (Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma), and the 36th Infantry Division (Texas, Mississippi).

This long-term investment strategy underscores the U.S. Army’s commitment to equipping the National Guard with capabilities that match or exceed those of active-duty forces. With its unprecedented ISR reach, strike potential, and survivability, the Gray Eagle 25M will serve as a critical enabler of both homeland defense and expeditionary operations.

The U.S. Army National Guard is thus poised to become a key player in modern, networked warfare—leveraging the Gray Eagle 25M not just for surveillance, but for decisive action across the full spectrum of conflict.