Australian Defence Force Selects GA-ASI’s MQ-9B for Project Air 7003
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
Hanseo University Expands Aviation Training Program with New Frasca Flight Training Device10.12.2025 17:05:00 EET | Press release
Frasca International, Inc., a FlightSafety International company and leader in flight simulation, today announced that Hanseo University in South Korea is expanding its aviation program with a new Level 5 Cessna 172 Flight Training Device (FTD), the seventh Frasca device to join the university’s fleet. Hanseo University’s school of Aeronautical Science recognized by the Korean University Accreditation Institute as the nation’s first Specialized University for Training Professional Workforce Industries, continues to expand its state-of-the-art simulation capabilities with the acquisition of a Level 5 Cessna 172 FTD. The addition builds on a partnership with Frasca that has spanned more than two decades and further advances aviation education across Asia. “We were seeking simulators that provided both realism and reliability, and Frasca stood out immediately,” said Dr. HanSuk Jung, Vice President Aeronautics, Hanseo University. “Over the years, our partnership has become a deep and lasti
Bregal Milestone Announces Majority Growth Investment in Beyond Now10.12.2025 17:00:00 EET | Press release
Bregal Milestone, a leading European software growth private equity firm, today announced a majority growth investment in Beyond Now (the “Company”), a fast-growing, cloud-native supply chain software provider for AI-enabled digital commerce. Driven by strong customer demand, Beyond Now has generated profitable growth and >40% last twelve-month ARR growth. Beyond Now supports some of the world’s largest and most innovative Communication Service Providers (CSPs), including Verizon, AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, and NTT, in managing complex digital supply chains to create seamless end-to-end partner and customer operations. Founded in 2018, the Company serves telecommunication providers, technology companies, and private enterprises to efficiently scale and monetize digital services through its suite of modern, Ecosystem Orchestration and Digital Platforms - including an AI Digital Business Platform for orchestrating partner offerings, an AI Digital Marketplace solution for personalized custom
Andersen Global Enhances Legal Capabilities with Addition of Brazilian Member Firm10.12.2025 16:30:00 EET | Press release
Andersen Global reinforces its legal platform in Brazil as Lotti e Araújo becomes a member firm, strengthening the organization’s capabilities in Latin America. Founded over 20 years ago, Lotti e Araújo provides comprehensive legal advisory services to Brazilian and multinational clients across numerous industries. Its multidisciplinary practice includes corporate law, tax, labor, litigation, collection, and credit recovery—along with specialized work identifying hidden assets and recovering appeal and judicial deposits in older cases. The firm also handles arbitration, administrative law, foreign investment, real estate, intellectual property, data protection, and corporate restructuring, and offers paralegal support for company formation and representation before regulatory agencies. The team advises clients on preventive legal strategies and complex disputes before administrative bodies and courts in Brazil. “At Lotti e Araújo, we have built our practice on ethics, precision, and a
NetJets to Bring Starlink High-Speed Connectivity to Fleet10.12.2025 16:05:00 EET | Press release
NetJets, the global leader in private aviation, and Starlink have entered into an agreement to bring high-speed in-flight connectivity to 600 aircraft across NetJets’ global fleet by the end of 2026, unlocking a new level of productivity and exceptional travel experiences in the air. “This agreement with Starlink positions NetJets to continue delivering exceptional travel experiences for our Owners and their guests,” said Patrick Gallagher, President, NetJets Aviation. “With Starlink, travel is elevated with reliable connectivity whether our Owners are flying for business or leisure—as seamless connectivity is critical to the experience our Owners need and deserve.” This multi-year, service level agreement paves the way for NetJets to quickly and seamlessly outfit its aircraft across the U.S. and Europe, with installation beginning as early as this month. Starlink is the world's most advanced satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet capable of suppo
Mercator Ocean International Makes AI Ocean Forecasting Operational with GLONET Validated by OceanBench at NeurIPS 202510.12.2025 16:00:00 EET | Press release
At NeurIPS 2025, one of the world’s leading AI conferences, Mercator Ocean unveiled OceanBench, the first open benchmark designed to assess AI Ocean forecasting models. This milestone follows the publication of Mercator Ocean’s AI model GLONET in September. Together, OceanBench and GLONET represent a decisive step toward integrating artificial intelligence into operational ocean forecasting, strengthening Europe’s leadership in trustworthy, AI-driven predictions at global scale. Presented by Anass El Aouni, Oceanographer and machine learning (ML) researcher, and Quentin Gaudel, ML Systems Architect, OceanBench establishes a unified standard to evaluate AI models against fundamental ocean dynamics. GLONET is the first forecasting system to be validated through OceanBench for operational use. Anass El Aouni : “OceanBench provides a transparent standard to evaluate AI-driven ocean forecasts. By comparing artificial intelligence with physics-based models, we can highlight strengths, identi
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