FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jun 20, 2007
Combat-Proven Aircraft Family Currently Amassing Over 8,000 Hours Per Month
PARIS AIR SHOW – 20 June 2007 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA ASI), a leading manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical reconnaissance radars, today announced that its Predator® UAS series has passed the milestone of 300,000 flight hours, with over 80-percent of that time spent in combat. The milestone was achieved by P-135 on June 15 while it performed an armed reconnaissance mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. This particular aircraft has flown over 125 combat missions in just the one year it has been deployed.
Predator series aircraft have flown an average of 8,200 hours per month over the past six months while maintaining the highest operational readiness rates in the U.S. military aircraft inventory. Over the past five-and-a-half years, monthly flight hours have increased 93-percent, growing from approximately 800 hours per month since 9/11 to over 11,000 hours last month.
“Now with an experience base of more than 300,000 flight hours, no other UAS manufacturer can match the combat-proven, unparalleled performance and exceptional reliability of the Predator family,” said Thomas J. Cassidy, Jr., president, Aircraft Systems Group, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. “Providing essential situational awareness to the warfighter, these long-endurance aircraft systems provide continuous intelligence while engaged in such missions as surveillance, armed reconnaissance, targeting, forward air control, laser designation, weapons delivery, and bomb damage assessment.”
With a combined total of well over 250 aircraft built and operational since 1993, GA-ASI manufactures UAS with an unparalleled commitment to quality. As mission demands have increased and requirements have expanded, the company has kept pace through the development of next-generation aircraft. The Sky Warrior™ Armed Reconnaissance System (ARS) will be delivered to the U.S. Army in late 2007 to provide long-endurance, armed reconnaissance for the Army warfighter. In the interim, Sky Warrior Alphas have been delivered and are actively engaged in combat operations over Iraq. The multi-mission Predator B is in production and provides a long-endurance, persistent surveillance/strike capability, with the ability to fly at the optimum altitude from sea level to over 50,000 feet. The all-altitude Mariner UAS is the most versatile, reliable, and only cost-effective solution for global maritime surveillance.
Predator series aircraft are in constant daily operations supporting the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Customs and Border Protection (CBP), NASA, Italian Air Force, Turkish Army, and soon the Royal Air Force. These aircraft have been deployed in world trouble spots on five continents worldwide, including operations in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as over three of the world’s oceans.
About GA-ASI
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., an affiliate of General Atomics, provides comprehensive solutions for military and commercial applications worldwide. The company’s Aircraft Systems Group is a leading designer and manufacturer of proven, reliable unmanned aircraft systems, including Predator, Predator B, and Sky Warrior ARS, and provides pilot training and support services for UAS field operations. The Aircraft Systems Group has been awarded the SDD phase of the U.S. Army’s ER/MP UAS Program and is currently developing the next-generation Sky Warrior ARS, featuring a heavy-fuel engine, triple-redundant avionics and increased armament capability. The Reconnaissance Systems Group designs, manufactures, and integrates the Lynx® SAR/GMTI radar onto both manned and unmanned aircraft and is also demonstrating the Magnum (Raptor View) high-resolution EO/IR sensor on UAS platforms. Leading the industry to new levels of performance, reliability, and operational capability since its establishment in 1993, the company has expanded the acceptance and application of UAS within the United States and among allied forces around the globe. GA-ASI is committed to providing immediately deployable, transformational technology for military operations, weapons systems and civil missions. For more information, please visit www.ga-asi.com.
Predator and Lynx are registered trademarks and Sky Warrior is a trademark of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
For more information contact:
Kimberly Kasitz
Public Relations Manager
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
+1.858.312.2294
kimberly.kasitz@ga-asi.com