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
Tula Technology Builds Global Momentum Expanding OEM and Tier 1 Engagements4.2.2026 09:00:00 EET | Press release
Tula Technology, Inc., a leader in propulsion efficiency and developer of Dynamic Motor Drive® (DMD), today provided a business update highlighting further technical progress across China and Europe as the Company advances towards global commercialization. In the fourth quarter of 2025, another Global Tier 1 completed DMD testing, achieving efficiency exceeding expectations. The Company also signed two additional memoranda of understanding, expanding engagement with OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. In total, Tula is advancing six development programs towards a start of production (SOP) in 2027, with additional programs to follow. In China, Tula has recently signed two additional agreements – one with a Chinese OEM and another with a global Tier 1 supplier. The OEM has already begun dynamometer testing to confirm the DMD benefit, and upon meeting expectations, an over-the-air update adding DMD software into the OEM’s existing fleet of vehicles could happen in the fourth quarter of this year.
LINVO AG Sponsors Fight Aids Cup 2026 in Monaco4.2.2026 08:00:00 EET | Press release
When Leonardo Bonucci, Andriy Shevchenko and Clarence Seedorf lined up alongside Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc on January 24, 2026, it wasn't for a trophy - it was for a cause. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260203762724/en/ LINVO AG serves as an Official Sponsor of the Fight Aids Cup Monaco 2026, uniting football legends for the global fight against HIV/AIDS. LINVO AG proudly sponsored Cirque FC at the sixth annual Fight Aids Cup, held at Monaco's iconic Stade Louis II. The charity match raised funds for Fight Aids Monaco, the HIV awareness foundation chaired by H.S.H. Princess Stéphanie. For over two decades, Fight Aids Monaco has worked to break down barriers surrounding HIV/AIDS - funding prevention programmes, supporting research, and providing direct assistance to those living with the disease. The Fight Aids Cup has become the foundation's flagship event, raising over one million euros since its incep
Murata’s Releases Technology Guide to Enhance Power Stability in AI-driven Data Centers4.2.2026 04:00:00 EET | Press release
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TOKYO: 6981) (ISIN: JP3914400001) has launched a new technology guide entitled: ‘Optimizing Power Delivery Networks for AI Servers in Next-Generation Data Centers.’ Available on the company’s website, the guide introduces specific power delivery network optimization solutions for AI servers that enhance power stability and reduce power losses across the data center infrastructure. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260203101664/en/ [Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.] Technology guide to enhance power stability in AI-driven data centers The guide addresses the rapid advancement and adoption of AI, a trend driving the continuous rollout of new data centers worldwide. As the industry moves toward higher voltage operations and increased equipment density, the resulting increase in overall power consumption has made stable power delivery a critical business issue for data center operators.
The Global Photonics Community Converges in San Francisco as More Than 23,000 Register for Photonics West 20263.2.2026 23:14:00 EET | Press release
SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, brought the global optics and photonics community to San Francisco, California, for another successful and enlivening Photonics West. With more than 23,000 registrants, the annual conference and exhibition connected attendees from 40 countries, showcasing the transnational and collaborative spirit of the interdisciplinary industry. The dynamic event ran from 17 to 22 January, with 4,200 technical presentations across 100 conferences, 4 stages of industry-focused panels and presentations, 49 courses, and approximately 1,600 exhibitors in the five expos: Photonics West, BiOS, Quantum West, AR | VR | MR, plus, in its inaugural year, Vision Tech. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260203925940/en/ Attendees of the 2026 SPIE Photonics West fill the Moscone Center, where nearly 1,600 exhibitors showcased their products. With an emphasis on the application of adv
Vena To Acquire Acterys, Creating a New Category of Enterprise Performance Management: Orchestrated Planning3.2.2026 18:00:00 EET | Press release
Vena, the only complete FP&A platform powered by agentic AI and purpose-built to amplify the Microsoft technology ecosystem, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Managility Pty Ltd, operating as Acterys (“Acterys”), the industry’s leading Power BI–based operational planning and app development platform, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approval. This acquisition unlocks a category-defining way for enterprises to combine planning, analytics, and application development within the Microsoft tools they already trust to run their business. By combining Vena’s Excel-native financial planning and analysis (FP&A) capabilities with Acterys’ proprietary Power BI write-back engine and unified analytics within Microsoft Fabric, Vena is creating the first Microsoft-native environment for Orchestrated Planning, an operating model that moves organizations beyond integrated planning into fully orchestrated and agentic AI-powered execution. Orches
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