Naomi Cooper
General Atomics‘ aeronautical systems business and the Air National Guard have jointly tested the capability of the MQ-9A Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle to enable global coverage and connectivity from low Earth orbit satellite communication systems.
The remotely piloted aircraft demonstrated its LEO satcom command and control capabilities during flight tests held at GA-ASI’s Gray Butte Flight Operations Facility in California, the company said Thursday.
“Using LEO SATCOM not only keeps GA-ASI aircraft connected from the North Pole to the South Pole to allow operations in the most austere environments, but it will also provide resilient connectivity that allows operators to pass much more data to and from the aircraft,” said David Alexander, president of GA-ASI.
The flight tests included support from the U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps and followed several weeks of ground testing activities.
The company manufactures eight MQ-9A Extended Range aircraft for USMC under a $135.8 million contract awarded in August 2022.
