1 April 2020: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has successfully completed the first production-representative MQ-9B SkyGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA). The multi-mission MQ-9B is built for all-weather performance with lightning protection, damage tolerance, and a de-icing system. The MQ-9B SkyGuardian took its maiden flight on 30th March 2020 at GA-ASI's Flight Operations Facility in El Mirage, California.
"With first flight of the production-representative aircraft, we remain on schedule for delivering MQ-9B Protector to the RAF," said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI. Protector RG Mk1 is being procured for the UK Royal Air Force's 9 configuration of SkyGuardian. Protector revolutionizes the long-endurance RPA market by providing true all-weather capability, and NATO-standard Type-Certification to enable flexible operations in civil airspace," said Blue.
The new SkyGuardian, featuring the latest GA-ASI developed Detect and Avoid System (DAAS) is also known as BC03 within GA-ASI. This will be soon followed by BC04 (also known as UK1) and it will be the first Protector aircraft to be delivered to RAF.
GA-ASI President David R. Alexander said, "Production has already begun on BC04 and prior to delivery, it will be used for Combined System Test and weapons testing."
The BC03 is a company aircraft that is being utilized for ground and flight testing to collect airworthiness certification data starting with flight loads and aircraft performance testing. The results from the tests will form the Type Certification Exposition needed to achieve the Military Type Certificate for the Protector platform
"As the lead customer, we are tracking all of the important developments of this ground-breaking, remotely-piloted aircraft," said RAF Group Captain Shaun Gee, Protector RG Mk1 Programme Director. "The Military Type Certificate is a particularly important milestone because it's a foundational step towards the Protector RPA being approved to fly in unsegregated airspace."
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Belgian Defence are next in line to acquire the MQ-9B after the RAF.