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
Ministerial Roundtable Discusses Mobilising Green Investments for a Resilient and Inclusive Global Economy22.10.2026 17:49:00 EEST | Press release
HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the World Green Economy Organization, opened the Ministerial Roundtable titled "From Ambition to Bankable Action-Mobilising Green Investments for a Resilient and Inclusive Global Economy," during the 12th World Green Economy Summit (WGES), held on 21-22 October 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre under the theme "From Success to Scale: Showcasing the Green Economy." This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261022803264/en/ Ministerial Roundtable Discusses Mobilising Green Investments for a Resilient and Inclusive Global Economy (Photo: AETOSWire) The session was attended by HE Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, the United Arab Emirates; HE Aliou Gori Diouf, Minister of Environment and Ecological Transition, Senegal; HE Balarabe Abbas Lawal, Minister of Environment, Nigeria; HE Steven Victor, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and the En
Andersen Consulting Adds Collaborating Firm TechSparq22.10.2026 16:30:00 EEST | Press release
Andersen Consulting broadens its technology and business transformation capabilities through a Collaboration Agreement with TechSparq, a U.S.-based firm that combines strategy, commerce engineering, and AI with hands-on implementation. TechSparq is a digital consulting firm providing strategy and advisory, commerce engineering, and AI and agentic commerce services to organizations across retail and consumer goods, luxury and fashion, and eCommerce and direct-to-consumer markets. Headquartered in Oregon, the firm combines strategic planning with hands-on delivery to help clients advance digital initiatives, customer experience, and operating models. “We built our firm to close the gap between the people who develop the strategy and the people responsible for making it work,” said Dedrick Boyd, founder and CEO of TechSparq. “Our collaboration with Andersen Consulting gives us an opportunity to bring that execution-focused model to a broader range of organizations while combining our appr
SBC Medical Initiates Development of a DNA Methylation Test to Estimate Biological Age22.10.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
SBC Medical Group Holdings Incorporated (Nasdaq: SBC) (“The Company” or “SBC Medical”), a Medical Services Organization (MSO) providing management support across a wide range of healthcare fields, today announced that it has commenced in-house development of a test designed to estimate an individual’s biological age using DNA methylation analysis. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261022474590/en/ SBC Medical Initiates Development of a DNA Methylation Test to Estimate Biological Age Development will be led by the Company’s AI and longevity-focused subsidiary, SBC AI Longevity Innovation, Inc. The initiative will leverage the regenerative medicine research and technology base established by Waqoo, Inc. (TOKYO: 4937), a consolidated subsidiary of SBC Medical, and its subsidiary Cell Pro Japan Co., Ltd. (together, the “Waqoo Group”). The test aims to provide insight into an individual’s physical condition that chro
Lenovo Expands AI Library with Proven, Validated Use Cases to Accelerate Business Outcomes and Drive Greater Value Per Token22.10.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Lenovo today expanded the Lenovo AI Library with new, validated AI use cases, extending its portfolio of enterprise-ready solutions that can help organizations move from AI experimentation to measurable business outcomes up to 24x faster1 than custom-built implementations. Now available through the Lenovo AI Library, the added use cases provide proven starting points to accelerate AI deployments and realize returns from investments sooner. Alongside the expansion, new research conducted by The Futurum Group and Signal65 validates how Lenovo’s AI Library, infrastructure and services can help enterprises optimize AI economics for greater value per token as deployments scale. Lenovo’s AI Library additions address high-impact enterprise and industry use cases, helping organizations boost workforce productivity, modernize IT operations, elevate customer service, and turn operational data into actionable intelligence: Lenovo AI Computer Vision for Retailtransforms video and operational data
Follow-on Order Brings Orders from INNIO Data Center Customer to 1.72 GW, Further Strengthening INNIO’s Data Center Backlog and Revenue Visibility22.10.2026 15:30:00 EEST | Press release
INNIO N.V. (Nasdaq: INIO) today announced a 620 megawatt (MW) follow-on order from a leading developer and operator of mega-scale data center campuses in the U.S. Together with the customer’s 1.1 gigawatt (GW) order announced in July 2026, the new order brings cumulative orders from the customer to approximately 1.72 GW, further strengthening INNIO’s order backlog and visibility into future revenues. “This follow-on order, coming just months after the customer’s initial 1.1 GW order, underscores the strength of customer demand and continued confidence in INNIO. Our containerized Jenbacher solutions deliver what data centers need most: fast deployment, high power density, fuel efficiency, and the performance to support demanding AI workloads,” said Dr. Olaf Berlien, President and CEO of INNIO. “Repeat orders of this scale, combined with long-term service agreements, strengthen our backlog and expand the services base that underpins our business model,” added Dr. Berlien. All 620 MW will
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