First Of Four Full Systems Ordered

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., and the Belgian Ministry of Defence announced they had completed a successful first flight of a new MQ-9B SkyGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft, or RPA. The SkyGuardian will be the first delivered to Belgium under a four-aircraft purchase.

The flight took place at GA-ASI’s Desert Horizon Flight Operations Facility in El Mirage, California.

The first flight is one of a series of ground and flight tests that will be performed to validate the performance of the Belgian MQ-9B RPA. The objective of the flight was to confirm controllability and safe landing of the aircraft. With the successful completion, the program will move forward with further test flights.

Chris Dusseault, Vice President of MQ-9B in Europe said, “We’re excited to complete the first flight of SkyGuardian for Belgium,” said Belgium joins the U.K.’s Royal Air Force and will become the second country to take delivery of our MQ-9B in Europe.”

The Foreign Military Sale to Belgium includes two of the Certifiable Ground Control Stations.

The MQ-9B delivers exceptionally long endurance and range, with auto takeoff and landing under pole-to-pole SATCOM-only control. It can operate in unsegregated airspace using the in-house developed Detect-and-Avoid system.

The MQ-9 includes the SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian models. Multiple deliveries have been made to the UK, and countries including Canada, Poland, Japan, Taiwan, India have placed orders for the systems.

The U.S. Air Force and Navy have also received multiple units of th MQ-9B systems.

FMI:  www.ga-asi.com/