Date: 19 November, 2007
Frost & Sullivan has selected General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) as the recipient of the 2007 Frost & Sullivan Award for Industry Innovation and Advancement in the unmanned aerial systems (UAS) industry.
GA-ASI is a player in the medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) market segment for unmanned aircraft with its Predator series of UAS. GA-ASI continues to develop UAS technology to meet the needs of warfighters overseas, as well as US national security needs with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
“Predator series aircraft have achieved a number of records, including being the first UAS to fire a Hellfire missile during combat and the first to be controlled from a submerged submarine,” says Frost & Sullivan research analyst Lindsay Voss.
“The USAF flies more Predators than any other unmanned aircraft and plans to acquire more over the next few years.” The MQ-1 Predator performs intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions and offers strike capability, too. To date, GA-ASI had delivered over 160 MQ-1 Predators to the U.S. and Italian Air Forces, and the aircraft have flown more than 275,000 hours. The MQ-9 variant, also known as Predator B by GA-ASI and “Reaper” by the Air Force, has a “hunter-killer” capability.
Equipped with a laser designator, this beefier Predator can deliver with precision up to 3,000 pounds of external munitions, including Hellfire missiles and GBU 12/GBU 38 bombs. The MQ-9 variant of the Predator has flown over 12,000 hours. In 2005, the U.S. Army announced that a version of the Predator would satisfy the Service’s requirement for an extended range/multiple-purpose (ER/MP) unmanned aircraft.
A derivative of Predator called the Sky Warrior Armed Reconnaissance System will be deployed by the Army as early as 2009. Equipped with a certified diesel engine and able to carry four Hellfire missiles, the ER/MP Sky Warrior Programme is expected to grow to over 350 airplanes and to replace the Army’s aging Hunter UAS. DHS/CBP operates a Predator B aircraft to perform border surveillance.
Predator B operations with CBP are expanding from the nation’s southern border, to the northern border and into the Caribbean. “In the near future, Predator systems, or variants of the system, could be in use with three of the four military services,” notes Voss. “The Predator system’s multiple-role capabilities are also changing the UAS industry, demonstrating that UAS can offer more than ISR in the battlefield.”
Each year Frost & Sullivan presents this Award to the company that has proven to be a leader in the industry and that, through its pioneering technology, sound business strategy, and research efforts, has been successful in advancing the industry.
Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry.