Scott Nicholas
General Atomics‘ MQ-9 Predator B remotely piloted aircraft platform demonstrated a capacity to remotely detect and track submerged contacts during a U.S. Naval exercise held in October at the Southern California Offshore Range.
The company said Monday General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. supported the U.S. Navy exercise which showcased new maritime patrol systems including anti-submarine warfare capacities.
The MQ-9 units processed acoustic data collected from Navy sonobuoys then delivered the information to a ground control station at a distance more than several hundred miles away.
“This test demonstrated the ability of our RPA to detect submarines and provide persistent tracking of submerged targets,” said Linden Blue, CEO of GA-ASI.
General Atomics added the MQ-9 Reaper also utilized Ultra Electonics-built sonobuoy receivers, General Dynamics-built data processing technologies and the GA-ASI Lynx multi-mode radar.
