GA-ASI Mojave

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MOJAVE1.jpg
MOJAVE2.jpg
new-mojave-announce.jpg

View: https://vimeo.com/652210410

https://www.ga-asi.com/remotely-piloted-aircraft/mojavehttps://www.ga-asi.com/ga-asi-announces-new-mojave-uas
Mojave is based on the avionics and flight control systems of MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-1C Gray Eagle-ER but is focused on short-takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities and increased firepower. It features enlarged wings with high-lift devices, and a 450-HP turboprop engine.
Mojave provides options for forward-basing operations without the need for typical airport runways or infrastructure.

Payload capacity is 3,600 lb. (1,633 kg) and Mojave can carry up to 16 Hellfire or equivalent missiles. Mojave can be equipped with a sensor suite including Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR), Synthetic Aperture Radar/Ground Moving Target Indicator (SAR/GMTI) and Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) to support land or maritime missions.
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Not sure about "carrier compatible". The video says 1200 ft take-off roll and 1500 ft landing roll. That's longer than a carrier.
 
TomcatViP said:
You are probably not factoring wind.
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Even with significant WOD, this would be carrier compatible only in the same sense as the OV-10 was. Meaning only with the flight deck cleared and for special circumstances like ferry operations. True carrier compatibility, for the USN anyway, means cat and trap capable, not just being able to fly off or recover using the whole length of the flight deck. That interferes with regular flight deck and hangar ops far too much to be tolerated.
 
GA proposed MQ-9B Sea Guardian STOL for (light) carrier ops

apparently carrier mojave is a thing now

MQ-9B Sea Guardian STOL is officially a member of this family, so I think I should put it in this thread

basically aims at USMC and potentially navies with STOVL carriers/LHD (RN, RAN, ROKN, JMSDF) to provide long-range, persistent ASW & ISR & maritime strike capability (think MH-60R on steroid)

for US, it should mainly bridge the gap created by capability that the navy has lost with the retirement of S-3, plus enhancing littoral warfare, and also more CAS coverage for the marines

I wonder if this could act as an AEW platform as well (there have been some proposals for AEW UAVs, not with very big radar but still better than none - something along the line of LM Vigilance could work), and it should be a very good solution for other navies in the fleet air (cruise missile) defense mission, as it has much longer time on station than helicopters and can complement each other

https://www.ga.com/ga-asi-grows-mojave-line-with-new-mq-9b-stol-package
https://www.navalnews.com/event-new...omics-unveils-mq-9b-stol-for-small-flat-tops/
ga-asi-grows-mojave-line.jpg


MQ-9B-STOL-4.jpg.webp

MQ-9B-STOL-3.jpg.webp
 
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Can't accuse GA-ASI of not marketing it...1st Protector handed over to the RAF, and a Mojave in RN colours onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth at the Atlantic Future Forum. Must have been loaded aboard at Norfolk...QE has since returned to Norfolk, presumably to offload it and is on the way back to the UK.

Think GA-ASI see a real opportunity there...can't blame them, the STOL, folding wing Protector/Mojave hybrid would be quite a capability to have...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1577996500424163329
View: https://twitter.com/StephenWatson39/status/1577996500424163329
 
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It's a nice design. And the idea is interesting.
It seems that it can carry up to 16 Helfire.
 
Are you sure that ground crew are wearing enough light-weight, low-drag, go fast MOLLE webbing?
Hah!
Hah!
Typically, maintenance crews wear the bare minimum of belts, webbing, etc. to prevent snagging when crawling around airplanes.
 
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Some more remarks:
- I am not sure there is enough clearance under the lower rear vertical fin to clear the C-130 ramp.Animation is stopped at the critical moment.
- the suction cup handler that ground crew seems to use to put on place wings and rudders will have a hard time to roll on such soft grounds.
 
well certainly cost less flight per hour than a f-35B for low end strike missions. the question is whether it gonna cost less than having a whole new type on flight deck and associated costs.
 
donnage99 said:
well certainly cost less flight per hour than a f-35B for low end strike missions. the question is whether it gonna cost less than having a whole new type on flight deck and associated costs.
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Thats going to be the big question...

The Mojave is only for trials though...if the RN was buying one it would be the MQ-9B STOL variant with folding wings (Essentially an RG.1 Protector with wider span Mojave shaped wings that fold). It's a fair bit bigger than Mojave, whilst admittedly far more powerful. I wonder if the larger wing merely compensates for the size in terms of performance or adds any benefits. For the UK the RG.1 would be common across the RAF and RN so there would be some cost reduction as a result. If it can save precious Merlin flying hours at a far lighter weight it could make some sense...getting it past Treasury is going to be the tricky bit.
 
I suspect the reason for the "not so fast " comment is that GA has not actually built a folding wing yet for testing. Also I am not sure they have included a hook on the platform before. While it may not be necessary per say, I cannot imagine an naval aviation organization letting a aircraft totally reliant on brakes and flaps onto the flight deck.
 
I think the simulation doesn't display the wire and hook system. But it seems that on the second simulated case (Wasp) there is. ;)

Remember that in a sim, you are the master of the Universe.
 
I could see the US Army completely replacing their MQ-1C Gray Eagles and maybe RQ-7 Shadows with Mojaves. Same sensor package (better than the Shadows) on a STOL/rough field airframe that can carry as many Hellfires as an Apache?

Gray Eagles are part of the Divisional Combat Aviation Brigade, while Shadows are part of the Brigade RSTA squadron.
 

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