General Atomics‘ aeronautical systems business unit has conducted the first flight of a company-owned remotely piloted aircraft at its Unmanned Aircraft System Flight Training Academy in Grand Forks, North Dakota. David Alexander, GA-ASI president of aircraft systems, noted the first Predator flight milestone for the academy works to demonstrate the company’s UAS training operations within the National Airspace System, General Atomics […] More

A General Atomics subsidiary will open an office in New Delhi, India, by the end of 2016 in an effort to expand its presence in the country. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. intends to build on collaboration with India’s government to support the country’s maritime security and domain awareness missions through the new local office, General Atomics said Tuesday. GA-ASI CEO Linden Blue said the […] More

The U.K. defense ministry has selected General Atomics to provide a variant of its Predator B remotely piloted aircraft system in support of the country’s intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance needs. General Atomics said Monday the U.K. will acquire modified Certifiable Predator B RPA systems to replace its line of Predator B aircraft starting 2018. The company added its aeronautical […] More

General Atomics has signed an agreement with the NLR-Netherlands Aerospace Centre to facilitate the operation of remotely piloted aircraft in non-segregated airspace in Europe. Linden Blue, CEO of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems business, said in a statement released Tuesday the company will leverage NLR’s air traffic control simulation and modeling capabilities to test the potential integration […] More

General Atomics’ aeronautical systems unit has ordered electro-optical and infrared designator systems from L-3 Communications’ WESCAM division for installation on a General Atomics-built remotely piloted aircraft. General Atomics will integrate L-3’s MX-15D EO/IR designators onto the Predator XP RPA for an international military client, L-3 said Tuesday. The MX-15D features large-aperture, long focal-length optics and patented four-axis gimbal technology designed to support intelligence, surveillance and […] More

General Atomics has received an experimental certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration for its Predator C Avenger remotely piloted aircraft. The FAA certificate would allow the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems-built Avenger system to operate in the U.S. National Airspace System, the company said Monday. The Avenger unmanned aerial vehicle has an electro-optical/infrared sensor, Lynx radar […] More

Raytheon will integrate its radar detection platform with the General Atomics-built Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft. The Advanced Radar Detection System designed by Raytheon Deutschland GmbH is designed to perform land- and maritime-based electronic intelligence operations as well as detect radiofrequency emitters, General Atomics said Thursday. “Adding an ELINT role to Predator B by integrating ARDS will help our customers […] More

Cobham has agreed to support maintenance of a ground control station for the British air force’s MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft system under a contract with General Atomics‘ aeronautical systems business. Cobham said Friday it will help maintain the Reaper GCS and the Sentry Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition system at RAF Waddington as well as the rear crew training platform at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose. “Technicians have completed […] More

A General Atomics subsidiary has received the Capability Maturity Model Integration Maturity level 5 rating for its aircraft systems business unit’s full-directed programs, systems and software development and production processes. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. received the highest attainable maturity level award, which acknowledges companies considered to be working at an optimized level, General Atomics said Thursday. “Absent an externally-levied […] More

General Atomics‘ aeronautical systems business has flown its Predator C Avenger remotely piloted aircraft with a United Technologies-built MS-177 electro-optical/infrared sensor. Seven test flights occurred at the Naval Air Weapons Station in China Lake, California that had the Avenger gather land-based and littoral objects imagery through the MS-177 sensor at more than 37,000 feet Mean Sea Level altitudes, General Atomics […] More

A General Atomics subsidiary has partnered with Fokker Technologies, a division of GKN Aerospace, to develop landing gear technology for the Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft system. Netherlands-based Fokker and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. have worked together to offer Predator B to the Dutch armed forces and aim to integrate Fokker’s technology onto the UAV as the companies anticipate a potential drone procurement by […] More

General Atomics‘ aeronautical systems unit and the Customs and Border Protection agency have tested a detect-and-avoid system that includes the company’s Due Regard Radar anti-collision system onboard CBP’s Guardian unmanned aircraft system. The company said Wednesday the DAA system also features a Honeywell traffic alert and collision avoidance tool and sensor tracker as it works to provide air traffic imagery for remotely piloted aircraft GA says […] More