Australian Defence Force Selects GA-ASI’s MQ-9B for Project Air 7003
5.12.2019 04:28:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), the world’s leading manufacturer of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), has been advised that the Australian Government has selected GA-ASI’s MQ-9B SkyGuardian® variant to provide the Armed RPAS for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) under Project Air 7003. This follows the Government’s announcement in November 2018 that GA-ASI would provide Armed RPAS to the ADF. The ADF expects to take first delivery in the early 2020s.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191204005989/en/
The Australian Government selected GA-ASI’s MQ-9B SkyGuardian® variant to provide the Armed RPAS for the Australian Defence Force under Project Air 7003. (Photo: Business Wire)
“We have worked closely with the ADF to determine the right RPAS to meet their needs,” said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI. “MQ-9B will provide the all-weather, multi-mission support, and interoperability that the ADF requires. We look forward to working closely with our Australian industry partners to provide a highly capable RPAS to the ADF, while creating high-tech jobs in Australia.”
The ADF joins other top-tier military forces in choosing a GA-ASI RPAS because of its proven multi-role combat performance. MQ-9B is part of GA-ASI’s Predator® series of RPAS, which is the world’s most trusted and capable armed Medium-altitude, Long-endurance (MALE) RPAS, and hails from a family of aircraft that has flown more than six million flight hours.
The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) is acquiring the MQ-9B as part of its Protector RG Mk1 program and is scheduled for first delivery in the early 2020s. The Government of Belgium has approved Belgian Defense to negotiate for the acquisition of MQ-9B to meet the nation’s RPA requirements.
MQ-9B development is the result of a five-year, company funded program to deliver an unmanned aircraft system to meet the stringent airworthiness type-certification requirements of NATO and civil aviation authorities throughout the world. MQ-9B is provisioned for the GA-ASI-developed Detect and Avoid (DAA) system, which consists of air-to-air radar, Traffic alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS II), and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). The MQ-9B is built for all-weather performance with lightning protection, damage tolerance, and de-icing system.
GA-ASI announced its intention to offer a MALE RPAS to the ADF during AVALON 2017 with the launch of Team Reaper Australia, a robust group of Australian industry partners. The team currently consists of ten world-class Australian companies providing a range of innovative sensor, communication, manufacturing and life-cycle support capabilities including Cobham (lead industry partner), CAE, Raytheon, Flight Data Systems, TAE Aerospace, Quickstep, AirSpeed, Collins Aerospace, Ultra, and SentientVision.
Hi-resolution images of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian are available to qualified media outlets from the GA-ASI media contact list.
About GA-ASI
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a leading designer and manufacturer of proven, reliable Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems, including the Predator® RPA series and the Lynx® Multi-mode Radar. With nearly 6 million flight hours, GA-ASI provides long-endurance, mission-capable aircraft with integrated sensor and data link systems required to deliver persistent flight that enables situational awareness and rapid strike. The company also produces a variety of ground control stations and sensor control/image analysis software, offers pilot training and support services, and develops meta-material antennas. For more information, visit www.ga-asi.com.
Predator, SkyGuardian and Lynx are registered trademarks of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191204005989/en/
Contact information
Steven Henden
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
+1 (858) 524-8101
ASI-MediaRelations@ga-asi.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
TestMu AI Brings Real Device Testing to Kane CLI, Letting Developers Test Mobile Apps on Real Phones From Any Terminal16.10.2026 17:00:00 EEST | Press release
TestMu AI (formerly LambdaTest), the Full Stack Agentic AI Quality Engineering platform, announced real device support in Kane CLI. Developers can now test a mobile app on a real phone or tablet in the TestMu AI cloud straight from the terminal: they type what to test in plain English, and Kane taps through the app on a real Android or iOS device. Until now, testing a mobile app on real hardware meant keeping a drawer of phones, or a separate device farm outside the developer's workflow. With real device support, Kane CLI removes that dependency again now by giving terminal-first access to the real device cloud. Kane CLI on real devices gives teams: Real Android and iOS devices from any terminal. Kane CLI opens a real device in the TestMu AI cloud and taps through the app from natural language prompts. Developers pick a model and OS version, or let the cloud assign any available device. A live view of the device. The real device's screen opens in its own window on the developer's lapto
Abu Dhabi Launches TAMM Global to Bring Its AI-Native Government Platform to the World16.10.2026 17:00:00 EEST | Press release
Abu Dhabi has launched TAMM Global, a private technology company established to make the award-winning technology behind TAMM available to governments worldwide. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261016490320/en/ Abu Dhabi Launches TAMM Global to Bring Its AI-Native Government Platform to the World (Photo: AETOSWire) It is the first time the AI-powered platform, which serves 4.7 million users and is recognized as one of the world’s most advanced digital government platforms, will be available for international licensing and deployment. The launch marks a significant milestone in Abu Dhabi’s ambition to become the world’s first AI-native government. It reflects growing international demand for proven technologies that can accelerate digital transformation while protecting sovereignty, regulatory compliance and public trust. It also demonstrates how homegrown innovation and intellectual property are creating oppor
METI and GX Acceleration Agency will hold GGX Finance Summit 202616.10.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
On Monday, October 26th, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and GX Acceleration Agency will hold the GGX (Global GX) Finance Summit at Tokyo Prince Hotel and online. The Summit will advance discussions on transition finance, industry decarbonization, and the role of business and finance in driving decarbonization. It will also promote cooperation among government, industry, and the financial sector, and lead international rulemaking toward achieving both emission reductions and economic growth. Outline of GGX Finance Summit Date: October 26th, 2026 10:00 - 16:20 (JST, GMT+9:00) Venue: Tokyo Prince Hotel (Tokyo) (3-3-1 Shiba-Koen, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8560, Japan) Organizer: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), GX Acceleration Agency Co-organizer: GX Future Consortium Format: Hybrid (On-site and on-line) Language: Japanese/English (with English/Japanese simultaneous interpretation) Press Registration Please complete your registration by accessing the official
Dubai Culture: Dubai Ranks First Globally in Attracting New FDI Projects in Cultural and Creative Industries in 202516.10.2026 14:32:00 EEST | Press release
Dubai Culture and Arts Authority has revealed that Dubai retained its position as the world’s leading destination for new foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) in 2025, ranking first globally for the fourth consecutive year. According to data from the Financial Times’ fDi Markets, a leading source of greenfield FDI intelligence, Dubai topped the ranking of 233 cities, ahead of London, Singapore, Riyadh and Bengaluru. The results reflect the strength of the emirate’s investment environment and its appeal to creative businesses, investors, entrepreneurs and talent from around the world. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261016681830/en/ Dubai Culture: Dubai ranks first globally in attracting new FDI projects in cultural and creative industries in 2025 (Graphic: AETOSWire) In 2025, Dubai attracted 754 new projects in the cultural and creative industries, with greenf
Horizon3 and Pax8 Expand Partnership to Bring Autonomous Security Testing to MSPs Across Europe16.10.2026 09:03:00 EEST | Press release
Horizon3, the AI-Native Proactive Security Company, today announced the expansion of its Pax8 partnership across Europe, bringing the NodeZero® Proactive Security Platform to the region’s managed service providers (MSPs) through the Pax8 Marketplace. The expansion enables partners to build recurring security services that help small and midsized businesses understand how attackers could compromise their environments, prioritize corrective actions, and verify remediation. Building on the companies’ North American marketplace launch, the European expansion makes autonomous offensive security testing accessible to more MSPs and the businesses they protect. Partners can use NodeZero to deliver initial assessments, support remediation engagements, and establish ongoing testing programs without conducting every penetration test manually. “MSPs are accountable for protecting their customers’ security, but a list of vulnerabilities does not tell them what is actually exploitable, and their lev
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom