Spurred by operational success in Afghanistan, General Avionics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) is fine-tuning advanced developments of its RQ-1 Predator to make the most of its hard-earned combat experience. Having been deployed to the Balkans and south-west Asia since the mid-1990s as a real-time surveillance platform, the RQ-1 was transformed in 2001 into a targeting and strike aircraft.
"Predator has been one of the stars of the show in Afghanistan," says GA-ASI president and chief executive Thomas Cassidy. In service with the USAF's 11th, 15th and 17th Reconnaissance Sqns, the RQ-1 has amassed more than 40,000h, over half of which are classed as combat. As a result, the air force has decided to treble production of the UAV, which before the war had been ticking over at eight vehicles a year, and stand up two more squadrons.
Lessons so far from the conflict have underlined the need for the improved Predator B, dubbed the MQ-9A Hunter-killer. GA-ASI has already delivered two pre-production vehicles to the USAF for testing and a further four to Honeywell. TPE331-10 turboprop-powered MQ-9As are expected to enter service by year-end. The air force in addition is seeking money to order another six MQ-9As in 2003.
Compared to the earlier Rotax 912 piston-powered RQ-1, the MQ-9A flies 20,000ft (6,100m) higher, has a faster cruise speed of over 200kt (370km/h), and carries a higher internal and external payload. The 20.1m-span vehicle is designed to take a 68kg (150lb) weapon on the outboard stations, and 160kg and 680kg loads on the two inboard hardpoints. Clean and with a full load of 1,820kg of fuel, the MQ-9A will have an endurance of 32h or, with 1,365kg of external stores, up to 24h.
The USAF initially looked at the turbofan-powered variant of Predator B and, despite its faster speed, rejected it in favour of the turboprop version. "The reason we're not too keen on the jet is persistence over the battlefield. It has a lot more speed, but less endurance," says Lt Col Douglas Boone, deputy chief reconnaissance systems division, USAF Directorate of Information Dominance. But GA-ASI is continuing with plans to fly a second Williams International FJ44-2A-powered variant of the Predator B within a few months.
The 2,300lb-thrust (10.4kN) engine, weighing 236kg, will give the aircraft up to 18h endurance at 60,000ft altitude with no external stores, or up to 14h at 50,000ft with a full external store load. Top cruise speed is expected to increase to around 270kt at 60,000ft. "This increased altitude capability will give it greater stand-off range. Internally we have doubled the payload, while externally we have 12 times the original capability," Cassidy says.
Endurance and multimission capability form the main focus of GA-ASI's longer-term design activities. "We're moving forward with the next generation now. It will be more capable and will be able to do a lot more missions," adds Cassidy, with both a turboprop and turbofan under consideration.
Source: Flight International
