Tue, Dec 27, 2022
Airworthy, Durable Attachment Provides Interoperable Carrying Option for Sovereign ISR Suites
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has flown the latest spec of their NATO Pod, evaluating the package at the Yuma proving grounds Arizona.
The NATO Pod is a joint project between General Atomics and manufactured by Sener Aeroespacial in Spain.
Development was driven by General Atomics in the hopes that the pod would open up new markets for their MQ-9 series, giving international customers a flexible, scalable, certifiable enclosure with the structural features to host wide-ranging mission systems. The pod meets both DEF STAN and STANAG certification standards for airworthiness, which includes protection from lighting strikes and sufficient durability to weather bird impacts at speed.
What sensors ultimately end up in the pod will vary depending on the customer and manufacturer, but initial releases should be expected from Sener and associated European suppliers. Their sensor integrations will provide ISR with the peace of mind found only with domestically-produced equipment.
“This is a truly momentous product design and implementation effort,” said GA-ASI Vice President of Mission Payloads and Exploitation, Satish Krishnan. “We’ve worked closely with Sener to meet requirements and keep our combined teams in sync to achieve this great outcome. Our successful test flight allows us to begin marketing this new capability to our international partner nations as a way to rapidly add sovereign payload capability.”
“This first flight is the fruit of a long collaboration between GA-ASI and Sener and we are proud to have contributed to the success of the project," said Rafael Orbe, director at Sener Aeroespacial. "We look forward to continuing the good work together, which we are sure will bring us more successes in the future.”
More News
Also: Aerox 'Cylinder Sentinel', Annual TBM Reunion, Hubble Pause, Utah AAM A combined Spanish-Portuguese aerobatic demo team suffered a fatality at the Beja AirShow, when one of t>[...]
From 2019 (YouTube Version): Hartzell Propeller Secures STC For King Air Propellers Hartzell Propeller has secured an FAA Type Certificate for a new five-blade carbon fiber propell>[...]
"Starship’s third flight test made tremendous strides towards a future of rapidly reliable reusable rockets. The test completed several exciting firsts, including the first S>[...]
Aero Linx: Utah Back Country Pilots Association (UBCP) We hope to promote flying in Utah, and we welcome you to our state. We recognize the inherent hazards and risk involved in ba>[...]
Maximum Authorized Altitude A published altitude representing the maximum usable altitude or flight level for an airspace structure or route segment. It is the highest altitude on >[...]