The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has recognized Dr. Arnie Kellman, the retiring Division Director of Operations at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility, for his significant contributions to fusion energy research.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) has adopted and endorsed a new report that lays out a strategic plan for fusion energy and plasma science research over the next decade.

General Atomics (GA) Contracts & Purchasing department hosted its fifth, and first virtual, Supplier Day, themed, “Global Progress through Technology”, with over 300 attendees. 

“Successful completion of FSS testing on the MQ-9B wing was a critical step in proving that our design meets stringent certification standards for structural strength and integrity,” said Dee Wilson, Vice President, Engineering Research Development & Design Hardware.

The CODE autonomy engine was implemented to further understand cognitive Artificial Intelligence (AI) processing on larger UAS platforms, such as Avenger. Using a network- enabled Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) radio for mesh network mission communications, GA-ASI was able to show integration of emerging Advanced Tactical Data Links (ATDL) and separation between flight and mission critical systems.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) delivered the final two MQ-9A Block 5 Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) and a Ground Control Station (GCS) to the Spanish Air Force (SpAF) on Nov. 23, 2020, completing a Foreign Military Sales acquisition of four aircraft and three GCSs. The new MQ-9s will be operated by the 233^rd Squadron at Talavera la Real Air Base near Badajoz, Spain.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.(GA-ASI) has been awarded a $93.3 million contract from the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) to enhance the autonomous sensing capabilities of unmanned aircraft. 

General Atomics (GA) has been awarded a contract by US ITER to develop the manufacturing process for components for the system that will transmit microwave heating into the heart of the ITER international fusion experiment in France. 

The first phase of the contract provided for the maintenance of Navy NMQ-1B remoted piloted aircraft located at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu. The second phase will involve operational training support for pilots to operate the NMQ-1s, which will be used as targets in Navy training scenarios.

The service center is a key part of General Atomics’ European Regional Sustainment Network (ERSN). The ERSN leverages the European supply base and creates new repair capabilities that will reduce repair “turn-around-time” and the cost of MQ-9 support.

Dr. Krishnan brings over 30 years of programmatic, R&D, and business development experience in the areas of materials and manufacturing technologies, biomedical engineering, data and computation technologies, power/energy systems, and detection/sensor systems.

GA-ASI has been awarded Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (ID/IQ) contracts on One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS). OASIS is a best-in-class contract vehicle administered by the General Services Administration (GSA) that provides a common architecture and platform for the acquisition of integrated professional services by U.S. Federal Agencies.

Guidestar Optical Systems’ cutting-edge innovations in adaptive optics align with GA-EMS’ focus on delivering groundbreaking technologies for the defense and space markets.

GA-ASI has been active in exploring supply chain and research opportunities in ROK since 2017, with collaborative Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with Huneed Technologies Co. Ltd. (Huneed) and Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).

“This is a great honor for the GA-ASI Gray Eagle team,” said GA-ASI Vice President of Army Programs Don Cattell. “This is a testament to GA-ASI’s commitment to bringing best value solutions to our U.S. Army customer and most importantly, our Soldiers, and we sincerely appreciate Aviation Week’s recognition of the team’s accomplishments.” 

Researchers from the DIII-D National Fusion Facility are preparing to support their colleagues at the National Spherical Tokamak Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U) at the U.S Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) in a quest to develop sustained fusion energy.

“We were very impressed by the many talented companies that participated in Blue Magic Belgium, and particularly by the innovative concepts presented by the two companies selected,” said Tommy Dunehew, vice president of International Strategic Development for GA-ASI.

The SeaGuardian flights will validate the wide-area maritime surveillance capabilities of RPAS for carrying out JCG’s missions, from search and rescue to maritime law enforcement. 

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced today that it is collaborating with Framatome Inc. to develop a new helium-cooled 50-Megawatt electric (MWe) Fast Modular Reactor (FMR) concept that will produce safe, carbon-free electricity and can be factory built and assembled on-site, which will reduce costs and enable incremental capacity additions.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) and Boeing [NYSE: BA] announced today they are partnering to jointly pursue opportunities for a 100 kW-class scalable to 250 kW-class High Energy Laser (HEL) weapon system to support a variety of air and missile defense applications.

Massive reductions in emplacement, mission launch time and overall footprint size are in the works for Gray Eagle Extended Range UAS, thanks to new laptop-based interface called Scalable Command & Control (SC2) from GA-ASI.

GA-EMS announced today that a milestone of 4,492 catapult launches and landing arrestments using the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) system has been successfully and safely achieved aboard USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).

“We appreciate the opportunity to continue working with the U.S. Air Force on maturing the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) construct, which enables JADC2,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander.

General Atomics (GA) researcher Dr. Houyang Guo has been selected as a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) for his contributions to the advancement of science and development of fusion energy.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced today that it has received a contract extension for a second year of operations of their Orbital Test Bed (OTB) spacecraft supporting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Deep Space Atomic Clock (DSAC) mission. 

“GA-ASI is really excited to showcase the communication capabilities of the REAP pod, which provides the backbone for warfighters to collaborate and share critical battlefield situational awareness,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander.

On September 25^th General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) completed the first flight of the Protector RG Mk1 Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS), the fourth MQ-9B SkyGuardian^® air vehicle (the first three MQ-9B air vehicles are company-owned assets supporting the certification qualification).

The Sparrowhawk aircraft is designed as an airborne launch and recovery demonstrator aircraft tailored to fit GA-ASI platforms, and is focused on Advanced Battle Management System’s attritableONE technologies.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced today it has partnered with The Boeing Company to pursue the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) contract for the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI). The NGI is a key element of MDA’s missile defense system, which is designed to counter all ranges of ballistic missiles.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has been awarded a $13.5 million contract to upgrade MQ-9 Block 1 and Block 5 Remotely Piloted Aircraft for the Air National Guard (ANG).

The goal of the demonstration was to prove emerging ABMS technologies in support of USNORTHCOM and USSPACECOM homeland defense priorities. GA-ASI flew two of its capital Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) and two manned aircraft to support the ABMS demonstration.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced today that Dr. David Robie, Senior Director of Space Systems at GA-EMS, and Dr. Aaron Freeman, Manager of Optical Engineering at GA-EMS, will be presenting the company’s latest innovations in Optical Intersatellite Link (OISL) and Infrared (IR) payloads for small satellites at the virtualAdvanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS) conference, Sept. 16.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI) concluded a set of maritime test flights over the sea-lanes off the coast of Southern California on September 11^th, using the MQ-9B SeaGuardian^® Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS).

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI) has integrated the Leonardo SAGE 750 Electronic Support Measure (ESM) system onto the MQ-9B SeaGuardian^® Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS). The SAGE 750 integration was performed by GA-ASI in partnership with Leonardo.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced today that it has delivered a design concept of a Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) reactor to power future astronaut missions to Mars for a NASA-funded study. 

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.(GA-ASI), with the support of SRC Inc., successfully integrated and flew the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Agile Condor Pod on an MQ-9 Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) at GA-ASI’s Flight Test and Training Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

This latest joint development effort is a NATO Pod, designed and built by SENER Aeroespacial, part of the SENER Group. GA-ASI will integrate the NATO Pod onto the MQ-9 aircraft line to increase its configuration and payload options. 

18 Belgium-based companies have been selected to present their ideas and cutting-edge capabilities to a panel of GA-ASI technical experts. The panel will evaluate the companies in a virtual interview setting and make decisions on which capabilities can support the development of MQ-9B SkyGuardian^®, the GA-ASI Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) selected by Belgian Defense.

GA-EMS will work with NSWCCD to develop new propulsor components for both surface ships and submarines. Design and analysis work will be done primarily at GA-EMS’ facilities in San Diego, CA, and manufacturing engineering and fabrication will be done at the company’s manufacturing facility in Tupelo, MS.

The contract covers the design, development, integration and production of the RPAS with its EO/IR video and SAR/GMTI surveillance payloads, as well as Certifiable Ground Control Stations (CGCS), Portable Pre-Flight/Post-Flight Equipment (P3E), ground support equipment and spares.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI) announced that it will engage Canadian companies to participate in the development and success of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian^® RPAS. Companies with an interest in participating can apply using GA-ASI’s web-based participation request form.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced today that it has been selected for the United States Space Force Electro-Optical Infrared (EO/IR) Weather System (EWS) satellite program under the Space Enterprise Consortium (SpEC).

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) is pleased to announce the recent award of an indefinite-delivery / indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract by the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) for the Skyborg Vanguard Program. 

ITER is the largest science project in history. Currently under construction in Cadarache, France, with operations slated to begin in 2025, ITER will bring the fusion power of the Sun to earth, paving the way toward essentially limitless clean energy. 

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) has been awarded a contract by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) to build the Total and Spectral solar Irradiance Sensor-2 (TSIS-2) spacecraft which will provide measurements of solar irradiance and high-quality data for the long term climate record. 

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI) announces that the industry team, made up of Australian partner businesses assembled for the development and delivery of MQ-9B SkyGuardian^® RPAS for Australia, will now be called “Team SkyGuardian Australia” (TSGA).

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced today that it has been selected as a prime contractor for the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Aviation and Missile Center’s (AvMC) Digital Guided Missile (DGM) prototype program under the Aviation and Missile Technology Consortium (AMTC).

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc (GA-ASI) has signed a contract with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the manufacture and delivery of Protector RG Mk1 Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS). 

“We’re pleased to support the JCG’s goals of validating SeaGuardian’s maritime surveillance performance,” said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI. “We know there is a need in Japan and worldwide for affordable, long-endurance airborne surveillance in the maritime domain.”

“When faced with the challenge of replacing obsolete systems, we were pleased that Dominion Energy selected our radiation monitoring systems to upgrade and modernize their Millstone Unit 3 plant,” stated Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS.

“We set out on a mission to demonstrate survivability and capability to the U.S. Army through strong industry partnerships in a cost conscious and affordable way,” said David R. Alexander, president, GA-ASI.

As part of the ongoing U.S. Air Force contract for MQ-9A Reaper modernization, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) demonstrated three expanded Automatic Takeoff and Landing Capability (ATLC) enhancements that provide the MQ-9A with a dramatic increase in operational flexibility.

GA-ASI has been awarded a $12.1 million contract to upgrade MQ-9 Block 1 and Block 5 Remotely Piloted Aircraft and Block 25 Dual Control Module Ground Control Station and Block 30 Ground Control Station (GCS) for the Air National Guard (ANG).

GA-EMS announced today that it has partnered with the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) to demonstrate and conduct a series of experiments for an Optical Intersatellite Link (OISL) utilizing GA-EMS’s internally developed 1550nm (nanometer) wavelength laser communication terminals (LCTs).

“EMALS and AAG continue to perform as expected as the ship ramps up evolutions towards achieving combat operational readiness,” stated Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. “Both systems’ capabilities are being rigorously exercised to meet the daily objectives for cats and traps in support of the various squadrons undergoing carrier qualification (CQ) and training aboard CVN 78.

The integration of NTM into GA-EMS provides greater synergies to support continued collaboration on several critical activities and the application of GA’s disruptive technologies to develop new market opportunities in advanced materials, energy, and space.

GA-EMS announced today that it has been awarded a contract for ongoing engineering and logistics sustainment of Gerald R. Ford-class Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) systems by the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent, MD.

Scientists at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility have for the first time observed a phenomenon that could help improve the stability and performance of large fusion devices and reduce the impact of potentially damaging high heat loads on the surrounding vessel wall.

The work, published in an article today in the journal Nuclear Fusion, helps better explain the relationship between three variables – plasma turbulence, the transport of electrons through the plasma, and electron density in the core.

GA-EMS announced it has received a contract award for an 18-module Gulftronic^® Electrostatic Separator system to be used by an international refinery customer to produce International Maritime Organization (IMO) Regulation 2020-compliant clarified slurry oil for use in the maritime shipping industry.

"GA-ASI and Conflux are developing novel and state-of-the-art thermal solutions for application to our existing and next generation RPAS. This will allow enhanced endurance and lower manufacturing cost, as well as more flexibility in our product design and integration," said Linden Blue, GA-ASI CEO.

“We are working closely with the Navy and CVN 78 crew to ensure operational performance is achieved. We remain extremely proud of our team, the squadrons’ pilots and the ship’s crew for all their hard work and dedication, and look forward to continuing success as CVN 78 undergoes these continued at sea periods,” stated Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS.

“With demonstrated performance through sea trials and the confidence of USSCOM, our LiFT battery system is becoming a go-to technology when performance is essential for mission assurance,” stated Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS.

At GA facilities in San Diego and across the country, test kit development, 3D printing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and ventilator component manufacturing are underway to assist in the fight against COVID-19 at a local, state and national level.

The 33,514 square foot facility triples GA-EMS’ capacity for satellite production, integration and testing for single to constellation-sized orders, and also houses an expanded mission operations center to support on-orbit satellite and customer payload commissioning and operations.

“GA-ASI continues to lead the charge towards enabling large unmanned aircraft to fly in the NAS,” said David R. Alexander, president, GA-ASI. “Our efforts, along with other partners, are gaining momentum and successfully flying the MQ-9 to our U.S. Air Force customer further demonstrates the safety and efficiency of RPA flight in the broader airspace.”

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems Group (GA-EMS) announced that it is accelerating the development schedule of its MATCHBOX™ Point-of-Care molecular diagnostic platform to respond to the growing need for testing for COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

Scientists at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility have made an important discovery that could significantly improve the reliability of future fusion power plants by helping prevent damaging phenomena known as “runaway” electrons (REs).

GA-ASI demonstrated ways in which SkyGuardian can be used for a variety of commercial and public services applications, using its onboard sensors. Services featured in the demo included inspections of hundreds of miles of rail, power line, communication and canal infrastructure, agriculture monitoring and topological surveys, as well as wildfire and flood monitoring.

“With first flight of the production-representative aircraft, we remain on schedule for delivering MQ-9B Protector to the RAF,” said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI. Protector RG Mk1 is being procured for the UK Royal Air Force’s configuration of SkyGuardian.

“The Predator Mission Trainer will be used to advance the quality and capability of our RPA training at the FTTC,” said David R. Alexander, President, GA-ASI. “The PMT will increase training efficiency because it allows us to focus our training and repeat training events in the simulator more easily than on an actual flight system.”

“Our Detect and Avoid System has been extensively tested and not only meets, but exceeds the capabilities of the air traffic awareness and avoidance systems used on today’s commercial airliners,” said David R. Alexander, president, GA-ASI.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) participated in the successful testing of the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (CHGB) during joint flight test Flight Experiment 2 (FE-2) in support of the Army Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) and the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) programs.

The Community Plan for Fusion Energy and Discovery Plasma Sciences, released by the American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics Community, provides a detailed plan on how to translate fusion and plasma science advancements into commercialized fusion energy and other technologies that benefit society.

“We’re pleased to have SABCA as our supplier for MQ-9B SATCOM radomes,” said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI. “This is a complex, major component of the MQ-9B airframe, subject to strict manufacturing process requirements characteristic of type-certified aircraft production. I’m confident that SABCA is up to the task.”

When integrated onto the MQ-9 Predator^® B series of RPAS, the WESCAM MX-20 EO/IR system will support Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and Precision Guided Munitions (PGM) missions.

“We look forward to bringing the Neva Ridge Technologies team on board to enhance our capabilities,” stated Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. “Leveraging the team’s extensive expertise to deliver SAR technology innovations will allow us to advance our products, expand infrastructure, and provide enhanced solutions to our government and commercial customers.

The BMB event strives to increase the number of small and medium size Belgian companies that can provide research and development (R&D) and innovation to support GA-ASI. GA-ASI hopes to partner and potentially invest in Belgian companies with aerospace and defense technology.

“Efforts to increase nuclear plant economics must look at more than just the fuel rods,” said GA Vice President of Nuclear Technology and Materials Christina Back. “This project begins the process of developing a fully robust core by deploying modern materials for critical in-core components.”

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI) has successfully ground tested its Airborne Laser Communication System (ALCoS) by establishing a link with a satellite in Geo-synchronous Earth Orbit (GEO).

The second in a series of demonstrations, GA-ASI partnered with industry to integrate best-of-breed long-range ISR payloads and Air Launch Effects (ALEs) on the GE-ER. The aircraft showed a persistent stand-off capability with up to 40 hours of endurance that Commanders can leverage to orchestrate forces in the Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) environment.

During the event, the Andalucían companies learned about GA-ASI’s procurement process and supply chain dynamics, and presented their capabilities for potential support for GA-ASI RPA programs.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced that the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) have been cleared for shipboard launch and recovery of all currently deployed Naval aircraft types aboard USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).

 “We look forward to working with Bharat Forge to develop strategies for bringing advanced power, energy, and weapon system capabilities to India in support of Indian defence initiatives,” stated Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS.

Researchers at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility achieved a scientific first this month when they used machine learning calculations to automatically prevent fusion plasma disruptions in real time, while simultaneously optimizing the plasma for peak performance.

Cobham Services Australia announced a five-year extension to the Teaming Agreement between GA-ASI and Cobham to introduce Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) into Australia.

The flight series will continue in 2020 and show that a GE-ER equipped with long-range sensors and Air Launched Effects (ALE) is able to Detect, Identify, Locate and Report (DILR) targetable data to support Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF) systems.

“We were honored to have the HAF’s and the HCG’s support for these flight demonstrations with our MQ-9,” said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI. “The MQ-9 RPAS is already a strategic asset for NATO countries, providing mission persistence and interoperability between allies. We showcased MQ-9s maritime surveillance and the civil airspace integration capabilities for our European customers.” The MQ-9 configuration demonstrated is operational in the U.S.

“Arresting aircraft at a high rate over a sustained period on the same wire is an aggressive test and shows the ability of the system to withstand extreme conditions. The Ford has the capability for an even higher operational tempo than demonstrated at the test site because it has three wires and clears aircraft from the flight path more efficiently.”