Joanna Crews
A General Atomics business has added a provision to the navigation receiver of a baseline remotely piloted aircraft to support connections with the European Union and the European Space Agency’s Galileo satellite constellation.
The baseline MQ-9B initially used a triplex navigation platform compatible with the U.S. global positioning system and was updated to allow constellation roaming to address connectivity denial or loss, the company said Monday.
David Alexander, president of aircraft systems at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., said multi-constellation navigation receivers will facilitate operational flexibility for the MQ-9B and will support plans of international and local clients in the production of navigation systems.
The company intends to provide a weaponized version of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian to the U.K. air force under the PROTECTOR RG Mk1 program.
The SkyGuardian is a progression from the multi-mission MQ-9 Predator B product line designed for certification with NATO’s Standardization Agreement and with other military and civil agencies such as U.K.’s military airworthiness authority and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
GA-ASI also produces the MQ-9B maritime surveillance variant SeaGuardian.
