New General Atomics Ground Station Controls Reaper Drone in Test Flight

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems’ Block 50 Ground Control Station for remotely piloted aircraft passed another milestone following a test flight conducted earlier this year.

GA-ASI said Tuesday that, on Jan. 8, its Block 50 GCS was used to operate an MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle for the very first time.

The test flight took place at the company’s Gray Butte Flight Operations Facility in California. GA-ASI president David Alexander described the event as “an exciting milestone”.

General Atomics has been working on the Block 50 GCS for the U.S. Air Force since 2014, with the company carrying out a critical design review, another key development activity, in 2017.

The new drone control station features a variety of improvements pursuant to Air Force requirements, including a revamped human-machine interface that makes single-seat operations possible as well as improved cybersecurity capabilities.

Alexander said that, with the Block 50 GCS, GA-ASI seeks to help address the manpower and future mission needs of the Air Force.