General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), the US-based manufacturer of the iconic Predator and YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft, has introduced a new, small, uncrewed aerial platform for the global aerospace and defense market.
Named PELE (Precision Exportable Launched Effect), the system is engineered to expand manned and unmanned platforms’ reach, survivability, and operational flexibility in contested airspace.
Designed with inspiration from Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanic force, PELE is a semi-autonomous, propeller-driven, launched effect with multi-mission utility.
With a wingspan of 11 feet (3.35 meters) and powered by a 16-horsepower engine, PELE delivers a tactical combination of endurance, modular payloads, and launch flexibility.
The system is built to operate in high-risk zones and tolerate attrition, preserving the survivability of larger platforms.
GA-ASI developed PELE to integrate with its MQ-9B SkyGuardian, the world’s leading medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) remotely piloted aircraft system.
Currently fielded or under consideration by multiple allied nations, the MQ-9B can deploy multiple PELE units during a single sortie.
PELE can also be launched from ground-based systems, offering air- and land-based force package flexibility.
“PELE brings even more versatility to growing MQ-9B fleets around the world,” said David R. Alexander, President of GA-ASI.
“An air force could launch MQ-9Bs for long-endurance ISR patrols one day and deploy the same aircraft the next day with several PELEs that take on the highest-risk roles, preserving the mothership.”
750-mile range
PELE carries an electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) full-motion video sensor and internal mission-specific payloads.
In a simulated concept of operations, an MQ-9B could approach a contested air defense identification zone from international waters, release multiple PELE units to penetrate the threat envelope and perform tasks such as detection, geo-location of radar emitters, or confirmation of adversary force composition.
This tactical decoupling allows high-value platforms to remain outside threat rings while extending intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) reach into denied areas.
PELE measures 9 feet (2.74 meters) in length, has a maximum gross takeoff weight (MTOW) of 250 pounds (113.4 kilograms) and provides up to 7 hours of flight endurance.
Its range exceeds 500 nautical miles (926 kilometers or 570 miles), making it viable for deep reconnaissance or cross-domain target acquisition missions when paired with platforms like the MQ-9B.
Developing attributable and semi-autonomous launched effects like PELE is part of a broader U.S. and Allied push toward Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) and Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) concepts.
These systems are designed to operate in swarms or distributed formations, enabling saturation attacks, electronic warfare penetration, or deep ISR collection without risking high-value crewed assets.
GA-ASI continues its tradition of rapidly deploying disruptive technologies for joint and allied air forces with PELE.
By offering a cost-effective, survivable, and modular sensor-to-shooter capability, PELE may serve as a key enabler in future joint all-domain operations, particularly in Indo-Pacific and Eastern European theaters, where anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) challenges demand stand-off and risk-tolerant systems.
