Nick Bucci, vice president for program development at General Atomics, said that adaptive optics will enable Laser Interconnect and Networking Communication System-enabled satellites to rapidly transmit more data to ground stations, Breaking Defense reported Monday.

General Atomics' aeronautical systems business has received the Federal Aviation Administration's approval to test a second Avenger Extended Range unmanned aircraft system in U.S. national airspace. The company said Wednesday it will use the FAA-granted experimental certificate to expand Avenger ER's testing activities for internal research and development, as well as contracted efforts.

General Atomics' electromagnetic systems business has secured a contract of an undisclosed sum from the U.S. Space Force through the Hosted Payload Solutions delivery order to launch a data collection payload aboard the Orbital Test Bed satellite.

General Atomics' aeronautics systems business has entered into an agreement with U.K.-based aerospace subsystem supplier GKN Aerospace to begin full-rate production work for the MQ-9B SkyGuardian remotely piloted aircraft's composite V-tails.

Leonardo has teamed up with General Atomics' aeronautical systems business to test and offer an expendable active decoy system as an off-the-shelf protection option for the MQ-9 remotely piloted aircraft.

General Atomics' electromagnetic systems business has selected Firefly Aerospace to perform launch services for a GA-EMS satellite carrying an instrument that NASA will use to study how aerosols in the atmosphere affect human health. Firefly will use its Alpha rocket to launch the Orbital Test Bed satellite, equipped with the Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols instrument, in 2022 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, General Atomics said Thursday.

General Atomics' aeronautical systems business has secured a $9 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to study, develop and demonstrate an air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle for fielding multiple weapons.

General Atomics' aeronautical systems business has introduced a new program meant to support operators of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian and the marine configuration of SeaGuardian remotely piloted aircraft units.

General Atomics has concluded fabrication and testing activities for a key magnet component of the ITER international nuclear fusion project ahead of the experimental tokamak’s first plasma activities scheduled for 2025.

A General Atomics-made drone self-protection system demonstrated tracking and situational awareness functions as part of a project with U.S. Special Operations Command. The company said Friday its MQ-9 remotely piloted aircraft used the new Self-Protection Pod to track infrared missile and radio frequency threats during a demonstration on Oct. 28 at Yuma Proving Grounds.

Leonardo and General Atomics' aeronautical systems business have teamed up to incorporate the former's active electronically scanned array maritime radar into the latter's MQ-9B SeaGuardian remotely piloted aircraft.

A General Atomics affiliate has demonstrated the use of A-size sonobuoys to remotely process acoustic and bathythermal data when deployed from an unmanned aircraft system to support U.S. Navy's anti-submarine warfare operations.