GA-ASI Announces Successful First Flight Of Predator C
Avenger
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. has started relating
details surrounding the first flightr of the Predator C Avenger.
The first flight of the new multi-mission jet-powered Avenger
occurred on April 4 at the company's Gray Butte Flight Operations
Facility in Palmdale, Calif., with the aircraft landing without any
discrepancies and ready to fly again once refueled. Subsequent
flights were successfully executed on April 13 and April 14, with
the test program now ongoing.
"Following in the footsteps of the proven Predator B, Avenger
adds yet another flexible and multi-mission capability to the
Predator UAS series and is a testament to GA-ASI's continuing
practice of developing and delivering proven unmanned aircraft to
military customers," said Thomas J. Cassidy, Jr., president,
Aircraft Systems Group, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
"Our company has been uniquely successful in forecasting military
needs and delivering extremely capable unmanned aircraft that are
ready for near-term military use. Just as the first two Predator B
aircraft were developed and flown on IRAD [Internal Research and
Development] funding because we saw the need for this type of
capability, likewise, Avenger was developed through foresight and
significant company investment provided by our Chairman and CEO,
Neal Blue."
Avenger was designed and developed with the intent of making a
UAS that was more survivable in higher threat environments and to
provide the U.S. Air Force and other potential customers with an
expanded quick-response armed reconnaissance capability. The
aircraft will have higher operational and transit speeds than
current Predator-series aircraft, resulting in fast response and
rapid repositioning for improved mission flexibility and
survivability. Wide-area surveillance, armed reconnaissance, border
surveillance, time-sensitive strike, and quick response capability
missions for use against conventional and asymmetric threats (e.g.,
terrorists, pirates) are among its key missions.
Avenger's new capabilities complement the operational
flexibility of Predator/MQ-1 Predators and Predator B/MQ-9 Reapers
by expanding the operational envelope of this series of aircraft.
Predator/MQ-1 provides the high-flight endurance levels required on
certain missions; Predator B/MQ-9 features a large weapons carriage
capability, coupled with long endurance, as well as maritime
surveillance; and now Predator C rounds out the flexibility of
these aircraft systems with quick response armed
reconnaissance.
Avenger presents a no risk/low-cost procurement option as it
employs the same proven materials and avionics as Predator B and is
controlled from and fully compatible with the standard GA-ASI
Ground Control Stations (GCSs) used to control all Predator-series
aircraft currently in use by U.S. and allied military services. The
aircraft is slightly larger than Predator B, incorporates a
certified pure jet powerplant (Pratt & Whitney's PW545B), and
can carry the same mix of weapons as Predator B.
With a 41-foot long fuselage and 66-foot wingspan, Avenger is
capable of flying at over 400 KTAS and can operate up to 60,000
feet. Aircraft sensors will include a GA-ASI Lynx Synthetic
Aperture Radar (SAR) and various Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR)
camera systems. A system based on Lockheed Martin's F-35 FLIR is
currently being evaluated, as well as an in-house full-motion video
sensor. A pure reconnaissance version will be capable of carrying a
wide-area surveillance system internally for special mission
applications.
"Avenger further defines the level of technical innovation that
American companies are capable of producing, and this kind of
company initiative saves the government extensive amounts of money
and development time while providing the war fighter with new
combat systems quickly," noted Cassidy. "This aircraft was
designed, developed, and successfully flown while concurrently
developing Sky Warrior® for the U.S. Army, adding new
capabilities to MQ-9 Reaper for the Air Force, and satisfying
high-volume/accelerating orders for Predator-series UAS."