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2020-02-02
GA-ASI’s MQ-9B
New Multi-Mission Aircraft Brings New Capabilities to RPA
MQ-9B SkyGuardian and the maritime variation, SeaGuardian, from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), will become the world’s most advanced Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) when the first variant is delivered to the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) as the Protector RG Mk1 in the early 2020s.
Aside from the UK, demand for MQ-9B throughout the world is building. The aircraft was also selected by the Australian Defence Force, who chose GA-ASI to supply an RPA system for Project Air 7003. The Government of Belgium has approved Belgian Defense to negotiate the acquisition of SkyGuardian to meet the nation’s Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) requirements.
Certifiable
MQ-9B is a ground-up redesign of earlier variants. This was done in order to earn certification to fly in non-segregated airspace and integrate seamlessly with manned aircraft. GA-ASI expects MQ-9B to achieve certification in the early 2020s, when the aircraft initially will meet NATO STANAG-4671 airworthiness standards, and subsequently will meet commercial airworthiness certification standards in cooperation with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Numerous technologies and design attributes have been incorporated into the production of MQ-9B to meet certification standards. To comply with STANAG airworthiness requirements for airframe fatigue and integrity, all MQ-9B aircraft are constructed with certified composite materials using riveting and bonding processes that yield a service life of 40,000 flight hours – double the service life of the MQ-9A aircraft.
The GA-ASI-developed Detect and Avoid (DAA) system consists of an air-to-air radar and processor, integrated with Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS II), and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). Together, these elements will ensure the SkyGuardian RPA will be one of the safest and most capable RPAs in the world.
Legacy
As a truly multi-mission aircraft, nine external hard-points on MQ-9B offer configurability to meet diverse mission requirements. In the basic Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) configuration, the standard SeaGuardian is equipped with a high-definition Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensor and a high-performance 360° multi-mode maritime radar to support maritime patrol and surveillance missions.
In contrast to MQ-9A, MQ-9B’s wings have been extended by four meters to a total length of 24m to accommodate additional fuel capacity, while also providing greater lift and endurance. The wing extension adds two hard-points for a total of nine that can accommodate a maximum external payload of 2,155 kilograms.
MQ-9B boasts a max airspeed of 210 Knots True Airspeed (KTAS) and an endurance of more than 40 hours. Providing greater endurance at lower operating cost, SeaGuardian is ideally suited to complement manned maritime patrol aircraft in performing wide area maritime surveillance.
Persistent Maritime ISR
In addition to exceptional endurance, SeaGuardian can provide countries with state-of-the-art sensors that offer unparalleled ISR capabilities for a wide range of operational and threat environments. Capable of operating at Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) ranges at altitudes over 40,000 feet and in inclement weather conditions, the MQ-9B can also provide EO/IR Full Motion Video (FMV), Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery, and Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) data about potential threats to military commanders in real-time from stand-off ranges without harm to the aircrew.
The platform can also be equipped with a multi-mode maritime search radar, an Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) capability, and an Automatic Identification System (AIS) detection capability that provides a true Maritime Wide Area Search (MWAS) and allows for the identification and interdiction of maritime targets.
These maritime capabilities, long in use by the United States in various regions throughout the world, are critical to confront the maritime threats before they reach population centers.
ASW Capability
GA-ASI is also developing Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capability. In October 2017, GA-ASI demonstrated remote detection and tracking of submerged contacts using an MQ-9A. The MQ-9A used sonobuoys to gather acoustic data and track underwater targets. The data was transmitted to the MQ-9A, processed onboard, and then relayed to the aircraft’s GCS. The demonstration successfully paired sonobuoy receiver and data processing technology onboard the MQ-9A.
Future developments are planned that include SeaGuardian’s ability to carry and dispense sonobuoys and to transmit the acoustic data via BLOS SATCOM. This continuing development offers yet another cost-efficient capability to complement manned maritime patrol aircraft in the prosecution of submerged vessels.
First Trans-Atlantic Flight
As part of the development process, a MQ-9B SkyGuardian was flown from the United States to RAF Fairford in the UK in 2018 – a historic event marking the first trans-Atlantic flight of a MALE UAV. In this instance, the SkyGuardian took off from Grand Forks, North Dakota, on 10 July 2018 and flew over Canada enroute to the UK. The flight to RAF Fairford took 24 hours and covered 3,760 nautical miles, and was timed to coincide with the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) air show. “This historic event was a demonstration of the endurance and civil airspace capability of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian,” said GA-ASI’s Linden Blue.
Since making its first flight in November 2016, GA-ASI has kept the new SkyGuardian RPA busy, performing a variety of flights, including long endurance testing (logging 48.2 consecutive hours in flight in May 2017).
“There’s no rest for these aircraft,” said David Alexander, president, GA-ASI. “They’re built to remain aloft for long periods of time performing the important missions our customers require. SkyGuardian is customisable with nine hardpoints and payloads to meet customer requirements. Just another reason why we’re getting so much interest from international customers.”
History of Achievement
GA-ASI has delivered over 900 aircraft, more than 400 GCS, and its aircraft operate worldwide. Every second of every day, close to 70 of GA-ASI RPA are airborne worldwide. To date, GA-ASI aircraft have accumulated more than six million flight hours, with 90 per cent of these flight hours achieved during deployed operations.
Developed to fly in civil airspace, SeaGuardian and SkyGuardian provide persistent situational awareness across vast littoral domains. It does this without putting aircrew at risk and more cost effectively than manned aircraft alternatives. Interoperable with NATO, coalition and U.S. Forces, the MQ-9B’s multi-mission capability makes it a valued asset in all scenarios – from environmental protection to disaster relief, maritime domain awareness, search and rescue, armed military surveillance and targeting and much more.
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