US Army Tests Joint Air-to-Ground Missile From Gray Eagle UAV

The US Army last month conducted the trials of the Hellfire missile replacement, Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) from the drone for the first time.

The JAGM was fired on May 25 from a Gray Eagle UAV, a variant of the US Predator platform, and hit a moving pickup truck at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah.

The JAGM flew just over 8km before hitting its target, which was traveling at a speed of about 20mph (32km/h), the US Army’s Joint Attack Munition Systems project manager, Col. James Romero, said.

“This missile has several modes and the missile successfully engaged the target without having to track and perfectly aimed the platform at that target,” Romero said, as cited by Defense News. “So this missile is really flexible in that it allows the pilot to sometimes be engaged or track the target the entire time or to leave the engagement and let the missile finish its engagement on its own.”

The missile was previously tested six times on Apache attack helicopters and Marine Corps Cobra helicopters. The Gray Eagle drone used in the test is still years from full integration with the new missile.