“OTB continues to operate nominally, and we are excited that DSAC is performing as anticipated,” stated Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. “We continue to provide operation services to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and NASA for the currently scheduled year-long trial of DSAC’s functionality."
The Army awarded GA-ASI multiple contracts to upgrade the Gray Eagle ER’s avionics, datalinks and software in order to improve the UAS’s operational capability in contested environments.
GA-ASI begins a series of demonstration flights using its MQ-9 Guardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA). The flights, being hosted by the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) and staged out of Larissa Air Base in Greece, showcase the maritime surveillance capabilities of the MQ-9, as well as the GA-ASI-developed Detect and Avoid (DAA) system.
“We have worked closely with the ADF to determine the right RPAS to meet their needs,” said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI. “MQ-9B will provide the all-weather, multi-mission support, and interoperability that the ADF requires. We look forward to working closely with our Australian industry partners to provide a highly capable RPAS to the ADF, while creating high-tech jobs in Australia.”
David Pace has been selected by the Fusion Power Associates (FPA) Board of Directors to receive its Excellence in Fusion Engineering Award for his leadership within the fusion research community and his work developing fusion diagnostics at multiple international facilities.
GA-ASI is supporting the California Air National Guard as they provide real-time reconnaissance for California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) firefighting operations in Southern California.
When launched from the GE-ER at maximum altitude, the glide weapon can reach extended ranges, which means it can effectively engage threats in a multi-domain operations environment while staying out the engagement zones of threat weapons.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), announced today that they are working with the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) in Greece to conduct a series of demonstration flights for European countries in December.
The cooperative agreement enables GA’s stewardship of DIII-D to continue through 2024, providing opportunities for scientists from around the world to carry out important research in the development of practical fusion energy.
“Vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells offer a more reliable, efficient, quiet, reduced thermal signature and environmentally-sound option to support field operations,” stated Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS.
“Six million flight hours is a testament to the reliability of our unmanned aircraft systems that are designed, built, and sustained by a dedicated group of skilled and innovative professionals for operations around the world,” said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI. “In our more than 25 years in business, GA-ASI has achieved a list of historic ‘firsts’ in RPA development and we have leveraged those accomplishments to better support our customer’s requirements.”
According to the APS, Buttery was selected “for pioneering contributions to the understanding of magnetohydrodynamics stability in tokamak plasmas, including the physics of tearing modes and magnetic field errors, and for outstanding scientific leadership of national and international fusion research.”
“We bring expertise in manufacturing highly complex systems, a long standing relationship with Sandia National Laboratories, and prior experience on the Block 0 glide body, to this high priority national security program,” stated Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS.
The funding increase from $15 million to $93 million is in response to the significantly expanded payload capacity of the newly fielded MQ-1C ER Gray Eagle Extended Range Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS).
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has signed a cooperative agreement with NASA to perform a demonstration flight as part of the agency’s project to integrate Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS).
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced today that it has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) to further the development of the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (CHGB) and Flight Test Vehicle...
“Thank you to the U.S. Air Force Association for this extraordinary recognition,” said Alexander. “We’re proud to support the future generation of scientists and engineers who will drive our industry forward.” GA has been an advocate of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) and aerospace education for more than two decades through its charitable donations and outreach programs at the regional and national level.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Air Force (USAF) to demonstrate the Air Force Research Lab’s “Agile Condor” capability using a MQ-9 Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) owned by GA-ASI. Agile Condor is a high-performance computing architecture that will be used to demonstrate artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.
Multi-Mission Control (MMC) enables a single pilot to control multiple MQ-9s for transit operations and routine Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions using a streamlined graphical user interface and lightweight hand controller.
The U.S. Marine Corps’ (USMC) Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 (VMU-1) blazed a trail of firsts and was awarded the 2018 Marine Corps Aviation Association Unmanned Aircraft Squadron of the Year.
“This contract leverages our extensive manufacturing competencies to ensure these critical structures are delivered to NSWCCD as the first new COLUMBIA Class submarine begins construction in October 2020,” stated Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS.
“This completes another important milestone as we work towards the delivery of Protector to the Royal Air Force (RAF),” said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI. “We have completed more than 100 qualification test flights using our two company-owned SkyGuardian RPA.”
“The addition of these four companies to Team SkyGuardian will further enhance the capabilities of SkyGuardian and build on our already strong business partnerships in Belgium,” said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has received a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization from the FAA for Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations by utilizing a Ground-based Sense and Avoid system.
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced today that commissioning of NASA’s Deep Space Atomic Clock (DSAC), the primary hosted payload on-board the Orbital Test Bed (OTB) satellite, is now underway.
“This demonstration was a complete success and has really built our anticipation and excitement about our new Protector RPA to a whole new level,” said RAF Group Captain Lyndon Jones, Protector RG Mk1 Programme Director.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Monday announced $14 million in awards to ten universities across the country to pursue fusion energy research at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility in San Diego.
The support services include developing maintenance strategies that provide lower cost sustainment over the life cycle of the product and providing distribution and other logistical support. GA-ASI and Cobham Aviation Services have had a long-lasting relationship and are well-suited to provide world-class sustainment to the UK Protector programme.
“With innovation in mind, we have always looked for ways to challenge the industry standard,” said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI. “Our Predator-series has evolved over the past 25 years into MQ-9 and Gray Eagle (MQ-1C), which are the most combat-proven RPA in the world.”
Scientists at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility have taken a step toward advancing fusion energy to a practical reality with a technology that enables more effective cooling of fusion plasmas, reducing the risk of damage to the interior walls of fusion tokamaks. The development is known as a small angle slot (SAS) divertor.
Scientists at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility (DIII-D) have found the mechanism responsible for enhanced erosion of the inner walls of fusion tokamaks, potentially solving a significant challenge to the viability of future fusion reactors.
The Fusion Power Associates Board of Directors has selected Dr. Edward (Ted) Strait to receive its Distinguished Career Award for his contributions to fusion science and advancing the performance of fusion plasmas.
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced today that its Orbital Test Bed (OTB) satellite was successfully launched on-board the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral.
It’s called “Super-H Mode,” and it could mean a dramatic reduction in the cost and size of future fusion reactors. Experiments exploring a new advanced operating mode for fusion reactors that could represent a major step toward realizing a nearly limitless source of carbon-free energy.
“This simulated MALE RPA flight operating under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) was actively managed by civil ATCOs, dealing with every conceivable contingency scenario,” said David R. Alexander, president, GA-ASI. “This demonstration helps show the Air Traffic Management community that flying large RPA in civil airspace can be as safe as managing a commercial manned aircraft, when the RPAS is properly designed.”
The new Integrated Intelligence Center (I2C) from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) presents innovative ways to improve the user experience for operators of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) using automation and user experience-based design (UX).
The MQ-9B SkyGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) – designed and developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI) – has now flown more than 100 test flights as development continues towards its first delivery to the Royal Air Force (RAF) as part of the Protector RG Mk1 programme.
Three finalists have been selected from GA-ASI’s Blue Magic Belgium event with the goal of supporting GA-ASI and the development of MQ-9B SkyGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) for Belgium. The three Belgian companies selected are AIRobot, ALX Systems, and Hexagon.
Team SkyGuardian presents Canadian industry with business opportunities in the Canadian RPAS Project and across the global fleet of more than 400 MQ-9 aircraft flying throughout the world. To facilitate the Team’s growth, GA-ASI and Team SkyGuardian will engage industry across all regions of Canada through industry events.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) are integrating WESCAM’s MX™-20 electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) imaging system onto the SkyGuardian RPAS, as well as the MQ-9 Reaper that is currently being operated by several NATO countries.
“This will be our first OTB satellite launch, and we are extremely excited to be delivering new technology demonstrations into orbit that will help drive future space exploration,” stated Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS.
The new technologies installed during the 11-month upgrade will play a key role in developing the scientific basis for fusion as a reliable and nearly limitless energy source. When experiments restart in early June, researchers will converge on San Diego to use these tools to optimize the performance of fusion plasmas and help bring practical fusion energy closer to realization.
“We look forward to the opportunity to meet face-to-face with some of Belgium’s most innovative companies,” said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI. “We’re committed to providing the best RPA to Belgian Defense and all NATO countries. To support that effort, we’re identifying and establishing relationships with companies across Belgium that can assist us.”
Chris Dusseault, Claudia Mowery and Brandon Suarez of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI) were honored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) with awards for outstanding contributions to aerospace
A critical milestone was reached this month when General Atomics (GA) completed fabrication of the first of six modules that will make up the ITER Central Solenoid. Operation of the magnet will enable ITER to create and sustain fusion on a scale unprecedented on earth by providing 15 million amperes of plasma current.
“GA-ASI’s success is based largely on our highly skilled and dependable supply chain,” said David R. Alexander, president, GA-ASI. “We’d like to thank all our suppliers for their dedicated service and commitment to excellence, especially the 71 companies we recognized with this year’s awards.”
The training covered new maintenance procedures, manuals and ground support equipment associated with the MQ-1C ER, which is a new Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) produced by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI).
The model was donated by Gray Eagle developer General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and follows the $50,000 cash donation the company pledged to the Museum in 2018. The NMUSA is being readied for its official public opening in 2020.
SAN DIEGO, CA, 09 APRIL 2019 - General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) and Tesat-Spacecom GmbH& Co. KG, Germany announced today that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly develop certified Space-based Laser Communication Terminals (SB-LCT) to support U.S. defense and intelligence applications.
The Certifiable Ground Control Station (CGCS) from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) was used to control the complete flight of an MQ-9B SkyGuardian – including takeoff and landing – on March 12th. This is the first time the CGCS has been used to control an entire end-to-end flight of a Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA).
“This is a very exciting time for us, as we anticipate the imminent launch of our first OTB spacecraft on the next Falcon Heavy, which will deliver multiple payloads, including the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Deep Space Atomic Clock, to low Earth orbit,” added Nick Bucci, vice president of Missile Defense and Space Systems at GA-EMS.
Marking a critical testing milestone in qualifying the AAG system for barricade use on board Ford-class aircraft carriers. This is the first such test event performed by NAVAIR in more than 20 years.
The new facility in the high desert of southern California will be close to 150,000 square feet and be used to house and test GA-ASI’s latest Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) variant, the MQ-9B SkyGuardian.
The goal of the events – called “Blue Magic Belgium” – is to increase the number of Belgian technology companies that can provide research and development (R&D) and innovation to support GA-ASI. This outreach effort follows the Government of Belgium’s selection of GA-ASI’s SkyGuardian to meet the RPA requirements of Belgian Defense.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and its teammates NASA, the FAA and Honeywell were honored for best achievement of 2018 in the category of Commercial Aviation-Unmanned Systems. The team was recognized for conducting the first FAA-approved, no chase plane required, flight of a large Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS).
“This demonstration marks a major milestone for us, illustrating for the first time that ALPS can be successfully integrated to supply hydrogen and oxygen to fuel cells to generate electrical power and drive an underwater vehicle,” stated Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS.
“We are proud that our fleet of MQ-1 and MQ-9 Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems have supported the U.S. Air Force for more than four million flight hours,” said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI. “It’s another milestone in the distinguished history of the USAF and GA-ASI.
“GA-ASI looks forward to this collaboration with Indian industry,” said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI. GA-ASI anticipates working with Sankhya to provide simulation and training technology in compliance with global standards, and to deliver cutting-edge training to pilots, sensor operators, and maintenance crew.
The Block 50 GCS cockpit for Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) is designed with improved capabilities through an optimized Human Machine Interface (HMI) that significantly enhances aircrew situational awareness and allows for single seat operations.
“We’ve brought together a world-class group of companies that make up Team Reaper Australia, and the team continues to grow,” said Linden Blue, CEO of GA-ASI. “Following the Australian Government’s selection of GA-ASI to provide the Armed RPAS, Team Reaper Australia activity has increased significantly and all team members are committed to supporting ADF requirements.”
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is acquiring SkyGuardian as part of its Protector RG Mk1 program and is scheduled for first delivery in the early 2020s. Belgium also selected SkyGuardian for its defense needs. The RPA is being considered as an option for the Australian Defence Force, who chose GA-ASI to supply the RPA system for Project Air 7003.
“Using a portable laptop computer in conjunction with SATCOM taxi and Automatic Takeoff and Landing Capability is a game-changer for our customers,” said David R. Alexander, president, Aircraft Systems, GA-ASI.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and Raytheon Deutschland GmbH have successfully proven the performance of a recently developed Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) sensor called the Advanced Radar Detection System (ARDS).
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced today that it has been awarded a contract from Advanced Technology International (ATI) to develop and demonstrate a prototype Lithium-ion Fault Tolerant (LiFT) battery system for the U.S. Navy
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) hosted an Industry Showcase today to recognize UK companies that are contributing to operational systems such as MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-1C Gray Eagle, and the new MQ-9B SkyGuardian RPA program. The Royal Air Force (RAF) MQ-9B variant is called Protector RG Mk1.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) announced today that it has teamed with five Belgium-based businesses as part of an industrial collaboration effort with the Belgian aerospace and defense industry. Team SkyGuardian Belgium includes GA-ASI, SABCA, Thales Belgium, Esterline, DronePort, and satellite communication technology company Newtec.
GA-EMS will launch a 110 kg Orbital Test Bed (OTB) satellite and integrate the Argos A-DCS payload which will be provided by the French Space Agency. The SMC HoPS program is designed to facilitate the placement of government payloads aboard commercial satellites.