Nichols Martin
General Atomics has completed the first large-scale demonstration of the Guardian remotely piloted aircraft in an effort to demonstrate the platform’s civil and scientific applications.
The tests took place in Iki Island, Japan, and showcased the potential of Guardian to support humanitarian, disaster response, environmental monitoring and maritime patrol operations, the company said Thursday.
The RPA viewed a volcano on Fugendake, monitored overfishing activities, supported the Japanese fisheries agency’s patrols, demonstrated the General Atomics-built detect and avoid system and tested the SeaVue Radar‘s automatic identification system.
“We believe that the flights of long-endurance RPAs in Japan’s maritime environment yielded valuable information, and we now begin the process of reviewing the important data gathered from these flights,” said Linden Blue, CEO of General Atomics’ aeronautical systems business.
The tests began on May 13 and continued for three weeks.
The demonstration program is among the company’s efforts to market the RPA internationally.
In a similar effort, GA-ASI is part of an industry team aiming to help Canada meet requirements for multi-mission RPAs.
