Watch A New Minigun-Armed Mojave Drone Blasting Targets At 6,000 Rounds Per Minute

General Atomics recently made headlines in the unmanned aerial systems (UAS) domain with a remarkable exhibition of their Mojave drone. This distinctive aircraft, outfitted with Dillon Aero DAP-6 Minigun pods, took center stage in a live-fire showcase at the Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. During this event, which unfolded on April 13, Mojave executed seven strafing maneuvers, demonstrating its precision in targeting stationary ground objectives.

The demonstration underscored Mojave’s firepower, as it discharged a total of 10,000 rounds of 7.62x51mm ammunition across the passes. This emphasized the pod’s impressive rate of fire, capable of expelling 3,000 rounds per minute. General Atomics spared no expense in funding this internal exhibition, highlighting their commitment to pushing the boundaries of drone technology.

“Equipping the Mojave for this first-ever minigun demo involved a lot of ingenuity on the part of our engineers and pilot team, and great advice from the Dillon team,” C. Mark Brinkley, GA-ASI’s Senior Director of Marketing & Strategic Communications, told The War Zone in a statement. “It required hardware and software upgrades to equip the guns for use, and a variety of ground-based test firing events to accurately sight on targets with the guns firing from a fixed position on the wings. The zeroing target was a billboard-sized wall approximately four feet high and eight feet wide, set off in the distance.”

“Once the pilot team understood the individual impact points for rounds fired from each gun, we were able to fly the demo and strike targets from the air,” Brinkley continued. “In the future, we envision a system with rotating guns cued to the aircraft’s sensor ball, enabling greater range of targeting and flexibility.”

A standout moment captured on video depicted a Chevy pickup truck succumbing to Mojave’s firepower with a dramatic explosion. Initial concerns about potential explosives within the vehicle were dispelled as the event proceeded without incident, showcasing Mojave’s stability and reliability during operation.

“Regardless, as far as initial tests go, we consider this one a resounding success,” he added. “The aircraft carried and fired the weapons without incident. There were no issues with vibration or recoil. We’ll see accuracy and effectiveness increase as we continue our development.”

“It’s not immediately clear how an operator would employ a gun pod-armed Mojave remotely, to begin with. Strafing targets on the ground, especially with a 7.62x51mm gun system, requires dynamic maneuvering close to the ground and a different level of situational awareness than most man-in-the-loop unmanned platforms, like those in GA-ASI’s other product lines, are generally understood to be capable of. That has been a key reason for the focus on precision-guided munitions, which have a very different basic concept of employment and are usually employed at medium altitudes.”

Brinkley commended the team’s resourcefulness in equipping Mojave for the demonstration. He emphasized the extensive hardware and software upgrades necessary to seamlessly integrate the Minigun pods. Brinkley also hinted at future enhancements, envisioning a system with rotating guns for heightened targeting flexibility.

The successful exhibition underscores Mojave’s versatility and potential applications beyond military contexts. Its short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities render it suitable for operations in remote or challenging environments, while its payload capacity opens doors for logistics support missions.

“Our Mojave demonstrator aircraft is a technological extension of our modernized Gray Eagle, with an expeditionary short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability. We believe a Gray Eagle STOL would offer the Army new attack reconnaissance capabilities unlike any previous uncrewed system,” GA-ASI’s Brinkley also told The War Zone. “We have already demonstrated Mojave’s ability to operate from austere and rugged dirt roads, to take off and land from a ship at sea, and now to attack targets with machine gun fire.”

Looking ahead, General Atomics aims to capitalize on Mojave’s success by exploring opportunities for further development. They’re even considering proposing a hybrid of Mojave and the MQ-1C Gray Eagle to the U.S. Army as a novel armed reconnaissance platform.

“A Gray Eagle STOL can deploy air-launched effects of various sizes and capabilities, employ precision-guided munitions, and conduct contested logistics for ground resupply, easily transporting and delivering 1,000 pounds of cargo across 500 kilometers [approximately 310 miles],” Brinkley said. “The Gray Eagle has already conducted more than 200,000 launches and recoveries without incident using our Automatic Takeoff and Landing software, which reduces the ground personnel required to operate the aircraft and can be controlled via satellite from anywhere in the world. Gray Eagle STOL will share similar systems, to include the modernized avionics, datalinks, and laptop control system, with the modernized Gray Eagle 25M.”

General Atomics’ Mojave drone has proven its mettle in a groundbreaking live-fire demonstration. Beyond its impressive firepower, Mojave’s adaptability and potential for future enhancements signal a new era in unmanned aerial systems technology, shaping the landscape of military operations.