Airborne Imagery Invaluable for Expanding Firefighter Situational Awareness
SAN DIEGO – 26 September 2013 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI), a leading manufacturer of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), tactical reconnaissance radars, and electro-optic surveillance systems, today announced that a MQ-1 Predator® RPA successfully supported firefighters in their efforts to contain California's Rim Fire, marking another instance of using Predator-class RPA for disaster relief in the United States.
Operated by the 163d Wing of the California Air National Guard (ANG), Predator launched from Victorville, Calif., on August 28 with the sole purpose of leveraging its Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR) full-motion video imagery to assist local fire officials in fighting the Rim Fire, which ignited on August 17 and consumed over a quarter million acres in and around Yosemite National Park. Predator's imagery identified the location of wildfire activity, the direction of the fires, and where it was controlled, along with verifying new fires created by lightning and floating embers.
"Predator's life-saving capabilities aided in expanding the firefighters' situational awareness, enabling them to fight the Rim Fire effectively and safely, while also uncovering critical safe routes for retreat," said Frank W. Pace, president, Aircraft Systems Group, GA-ASI. "Predator enables Incident Commanders to view any area of a wildfire, day or night, and efficiently vector firefighting resources to protect lives and mitigate property losses."
Predator imagery was shared with Incident Commanders and other fire managers on the ground in real-time, providing them with valuable time to employ the most effective and efficient measures to extinguish the blazes and protect firefighters. The aircraft's ability to stay airborne for over a day offered a value-added capability over helicopters, which ground commanders had relied on previously but are required to refuel every two hours.
The use of MQ-1 was approved by the U.S. Secretary of Defense and is operated by Predator crew personnel assigned to the California ANG, under the command and control of Maj. Gen David Baldwin, the Adjutant General of the California National Guard. Other products of the Predator RPA family also have experience in assisting with disaster relief during wildfires in the Western United States, including NASA Predator B aircraft, Altair® and Ikhana.
High-resolution photos of Predator are available to qualified media outlets from the GA-ASI media contact listed below.
About GA-ASI
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., an affiliate of General Atomics, delivers situational awareness by providing remotely piloted aircraft, radar, and electro-optic solutions for military and commercial applications worldwide. The company's Aircraft Systems Group is a leading designer and manufacturer of proven, reliable remotely piloted aircraft systems, including Predator A, Predator B, Gray Eagle®, and the new Predator C Avenger®, and Predator XP. It also manufactures a variety of solid-state digital Ground Control Stations (GCS), including the next-generation Advanced Cockpit GCS, and provides pilot training and support services for RPA field operations. The Reconnaissance Systems Group designs, manufactures, and integrates the Lynx® Multi-mode Radar and sophisticated Claw® sensor control and image analysis software into both manned and remotely piloted aircraft. It also develops and integrates other sensor and communication equipment into manned ISR aircraft and develops emerging technologies in solid-state lasers, electro-optic sensors, and ultra-wideband data links for government applications. For more information, please visit www.ga-asi.com.
Predator, Altair, Gray Eagle, Avenger, Lynx, Claw are registered trademarks of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
For more information contact:
Kimberly Kasitz
Public Relations Manager
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
+1.858.312.2294