General Atomics‘ aeronautical systems business unit has transitioned the production line for the MQ-1C Gray Eagle to an extended-range variant of the unmanned aircraft system for the U.S. Army. The company said Tuesday it commenced developmental tests on the first four MQ-1C ER units and expects to begin follow-on operational test and evaluation activities in the spring of […] More

General Atomics‘ aeronautical systems business has conducted the first test flight from its new Flight Test and Training Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota. GA-ASI deployed a Block 5 Predator B/MQ-9 remotely piloted aircraft which flew approximately 1,075 nautical miles in Class A civilian airspace, General Atomics said Monday. The Federal Aviation Administration granted a […] More

An extended-range variant of General Atomics‘ MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft system has exceeded the 40-hour goal during an endurance flight test. General Atomics said Thursday MQ-1C ER was configured for a representative U.S. Army mission and flew 41.9 hours after the UAS was launched from El Mirage, California. It marked the aircraft’s 43rd test flight since Oct. […] More

General Atomics‘ aeronautical systems business hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday to mark the opening of a new unmanned aircraft system hangar at the Grand Sky business park in North Dakota. The company said Tuesday its Flight Test and Training Center hangar is built to house GA-ASI operational hardware such as MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Predator B remotely […] More

The U.S. Navy has asked General Atomics, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to submit proposed concepts for a carrier-based unmanned aerial refueling tanker through an updated draft request for proposals issued in July, USNI News reported Thursday. The service branch plans to release the final RFP for the MQ-25A Stingray program in the fall of 2017 […] More

Several government contracting industry leaders have commended President Donald Trump’s move to sign a memorandum on China’s trade practices. The White House memo would authorize the U.S. trade representative to decide whether to conduct an investigation into China’s alleged theft of U.S. intellectual property, The Hill reported Monday. “Safeguarding our intellectual property against nation-state sponsored […] More

General Atomics‘ aeronautical systems business has conducted a critical design review (CDR) on its ground control station offering for the U.S. Air Force as part of efforts towards fielding new technologies for the military branch’s fleet of remotely piloted aircraft. General Atomics said Tuesday that it conducted the CDR for the Advanced Cockpit Block 50 GCS […] More

General Atomics‘ aeronautical systems business has begun flight testing an extended-range variant of the MQ-1C unmanned aircraft system at the company’s El Mirage flight operations facility in California. The company said Thursday the MQ-1C Gray Eagle Extended Range series is designed to increase endurance and payload capacity of the Gray Eagle UAS platform, which has recorded more than 300,000 flight […] More

General Atomics‘ aeronautical systems subsidiary will demonstrate its ground control system simulator and maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft at the Japan International Aerospace show through Oct. 15. The company said Wednesday GA-ASI’s booth will feature the Guardian ER aircraft and hands-on demonstrations of the Advanced Cockpit Block 50 Ground Control Station simulator. David Alexander, GA-ASI president of aircraft […] More

General Atomics‘ aeronautical systems subsidiary has shipped its new Certifiable Predator B remotely piloted aircraft to its Gray Butte flight operations facility for developmental tests after the company completed aircraft integration for the system. CPB is set to undergo ground and taxi tests before initial flight tests in November under an experimental certification from the Federal Aviation Administration, General Atomics said Wednesday. The […] More

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 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