General Atomics announced its MQ-9B medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted vehicle completed its first transatlantic flight from the United States to Britain.

The MQ-9B SkyGuardian was launched from Grand Forks, N.D., on July 10, flying more than 4,300 miles over the course of 24 hours, before landing at the Royal Air Force Fairford in Gloucestershire in southwest England, the company said this week.

"This historic event was a demonstration of the endurance and civil airspace capability of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian, and it is fitting to do this as part of the centennial celebration of the RAF," Linden Blue, CEO of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., said in a press release.

The flight was meant to be a demonstration for the Royal Air Force for the new model of the drone class. The RAF has been operating versions of the Predator and Reaper class for a number of years. The RAF configuration of MQ-9B will be called the Protector RG Mk1.

The MQ-9B SkyGuardian, also known as the Reaper, is a much larger and heavily armed successor to the storied MQ-1 Predator drone. It is designed primarily for attack missions, but can also be used for surveillance, close air support and reconnaissance.

The SkyGuardian has long-range endurance and carries the advanced Multi-Spectral Targeting System. It's suite includes infrared cameras, laser designators, and video systems, in addition to a satellite uplink/downlink capabilities that allow its sensor data to be shared across networks.

The aircraft has a high cruise speed, a flight ceiling up to 40,000 feet, long range and can carry a much larger payload than its predecessors. They can carry Hellfire laser-guided missiles, GBU-12 Paveway bombs, and GPS-guided GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions.

Historic Trans-Atlantic Flight Launch Sequence from General Atomics on Vimeo.

Related Links
UAV News - Suppliers and Technology

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Israel Patriot missile intercepts unarmed drone from Syria: army
Jerusalem (AFP) July 11, 2018
Israel fired a Patriot missile on Wednesday to intercept what initial findings showed was an unarmed Syrian drone that may have been on an intelligence mission, the army said. It was not clear if the unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, strayed across Syria's ceasefire line with Israel unintentionally. "UAV from Syria intercepted by Patriot missile, causing sirens in Golan and Emek HaYarden Regional Councils," an army statement said. Emek HaYarden is a region located southwest of the Israeli-occ ... read more