First Of Its Kind For Large Remotely-Piloted Aircraft

The Military Aviation Authority of the UK announced it issued a Military Type Certificate to the Royal Air Force’s Protector RG Mk1 uncrewed aircraft system, also known as the MQ-9B, manufactured by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), of Poway, California.

GA-ASI is the first manufacturer of large, unmanned aircraft to receive  an MTC, and it is based on its meticulous compliance with STANAG 4671, the NATO standard for UAS airworthiness.

Securing the MTC has been the long-term goal of GA-ASI since the inception of the MQ-9B program in January 2014. The company adapted its proven MQ-9A platform by adding features to meet the STANAG 4671 Edition 2 airworthiness requirements. These include lightning protection, fire protection, anti-icing systems, and a building-block design that is tolerant to fatigue and damage.

All critical software was designed in compliance with Do-178/254. Mission software is completely isolated from flight critical software. The features added to the MQ-9A ensure its airworthiness, reliability, and operational flexibility to meet the STANAG 4671 standards.

Linden Blue, CEO of GA-ASI, said, “Earning an MTC for MQ-9B was a herculean effort and a seminal achievement for our company. We invested over $500 million as part of an 11-year effort to develop an unmanned aircraft that meets NATO’s rigorous airworthiness standards.

“This included three flight test aircraft, full component and system-level environmental testing to Do-160 and Mil-Standards (system level environmental testing at Elgin and Pax River), full scale static test airframe test to ultimate ground and flight loads, bird strike, hail protection and full-scale fatigue testing to three lifetimes (3x 40,000 notional aircraft flight hours = 120,000 hours total).

“Our engineers developed over 140,000 pages of detailed technical data verifying that the MQ-9B met those demanding requirements. I congratulate our team for this outstanding accomplishment, and I know our customers need this type certification, which will open civil airspace for their flight operations.”

Gp. Capt. Neil Venables, Type Airworthiness Authority and holder of the Protector Type Certificate, said, “Achieving the award of a first in class Military Type Certificate has required years of dedication and perseverance and is a testament to the hard work of all involved. It is a privilege to be the first to be awarded an MTC for the Protector Air System.”

FMI:  www.ga-asi.com/