General Atomics has completed a series of railgun launch tests for its projectiles with on-board electronics. The projectiles were launched from a 3-megajoule Blitzer electromagnetic railgun June 9 and 10 at the U.S. Army’s Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, General Atomics said Monday. Nick Bucci, vice president of missile defense systems …
Read More »General Atomics Lands Navy Production Contract for JFK Carrier Components
General Atomics has secured a production contract from the U.S. Navy to provide the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System and Advanced Arresting Gear for the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) aircraft carrier. The company said Monday its electromagnetic systems group will provide program management, design, engineering and manufacturing services at its facility in Mississippi and subcontract …
Read More »Christopher Ames: General Atomics Looks to Ease AF Drone Pilot Training Bottleneck with Planned Academy
General Atomics will establish a U.S.-based training center for foreign drone pilots from allied countries as part of efforts to meet the international demand for drone operators, Military.com reported Thursday. Brendan McGarry writes that Christopher Ames, director of international strategic development for the company’s aeronautical systems business, indicated the plan also seeks …
Read More »Army Demos Gray Eagle UAS Payload Control System
The U.S. Army has used a new remote system to demonstrate a General Atomics-built MQ-1C Gray Eagle drone at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, the Army News Service reported Wednesday. David Vergun writes F Company/227th Aviation soldiers managed the unmanned aircraft system’s payload with the One System …
Read More »Report: Navy to Launch UCLASS Contract Competition After DoD’s Aircraft Portfolio Review
The U.S. Navy cannot issue a formal solicitation for the Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike System contract until the Defense Department has completed its review of military aircraft portfolio, Reuters reported Wednesday. Andrea Shalal writes Rear Adm. Mike Manazir, director of air warfare at the Navy, said the military …
Read More »France Takes in 3rd General Atomics Reaper Drone; Frank Pace Comments
France’s military has received a third unmanned Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper from General Atomics‘ aeronautical systems business to support intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance as well as targeting missions. The company said Friday this latest delivery is the third for the French air force and will join the two remotely piloted aircraft currently in service. …
Read More »DARPA Qualifies General Atomics-Built Laser for Field Tests; Rich Bagnell Comments
The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency has validated a General Atomics-built laser system for a series of field tests after the company and DARPA completed he program’s laboratory development phase. DARPA said Thursday the High-Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System is scheduled for ground-based field testing in summer under joint …
Read More »USAF Orders 8 More General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper Drones for $72M
General Atomics will supply the U.S. Air Force with an additional eight production configuration MQ-9 Reaper Block 5 unmanned aerial vehicles under a $72 million contract modification. The Defense Department said Wednesday the company’s aeronautical systems business will perform contract work in Poway, California, through Dec. 31, 2017. DoD noted that the full obligated …
Read More »General Atomics Begins Central Solenoid Fabrication for Int’l Fusion Energy Project
General Atomics has begun the fabrication of the central solenoid for an experimental tokamak fusion reactor as part of U.S. participation in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project on the potential of fusion energy. The company said Friday the ITER central solenoid is a superconducting electromagnet weighing at 1,000 tons with a stored energy …
Read More »General Atomics, DOE Lab Report New Findings in Fusion Energy Studies
General Atomics and its partners at the Energy Department‘s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory have reported the latest findings in their joint studies on fusion energy and the control of edge-localized modes or heat bursts. The company said March 15 the research team found that tiny magnetic fields work to suppress intense heat bursts …
Read More »US Manufacturers Eye Middle East for Drone Export Sales
Industry executives said they expect drone sales orders from Middle East nations to increase after the State Department loosened export rules for unmanned aerial vehicles, Reuters reported Tuesday. “With this new policy, we see a lot more activity, we are talking to a lot more countries in the Middle East,” …
Read More »General Atomics Completes Airborne Radar Testing Onboard Predator B; Frank Pace Comments
General Atomics’ aeronautical systems company has completed the flight test for a sense-and-avoid radar aboard a remotely piloted aircraft in an effort to further the aircraft’s integration into international and domestic airspace. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. flight-tested a due regard radar on Predator B and the radar system performed …
Read More »Air Force’s 5-Year Spending Plan Outlines Tanker, UAV, Carrier, JLTV Funds
Boeing could receive $15.6 billion over the next five years to fund the production of modified 767 jets for the U.S. Air Force‘s aerial refueling operations, Bloomberg reported Thursday. Tony Capaccio writes that the Defense Department is requesting $2.95 billion for fiscal 2016, $3.22 billion for fiscal 2017 and $3.1 billion for fiscal …
Read More »Report: BAE to Propose Railgun Tech for Future Army Combat Vehicles
BAE Systems wants to offer the U.S. Army an electromagnetic railgun technology for integration onto the branch’s next fleet of armored ground vehicles, IEEE Spectrum reported Monday. Evan Ackerman writes the Army could decide in 2016 whether its proposed Future Fighting Vehicle program will proceed. BAE and General Atomics have …
Read More »Frank Pace: General Atomics Sense and Avoid System Ready for Flight Tests
General Atomics‘ aeronautical systems business has completed the proof-of-concept test phase for its sense and avoid system aboard a remotely piloted aircraft. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems collaborated with the Federal Aviation Administration and Honeywell to test the Predator B collision avoidance system for unmanned aircraft in September at GA-ASI’s facility in Palmdale, California, General Atomics said Friday. “Our proof-of-concept SAA system …
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