Maritime development of General Atomics MQ-9 to be proposed for US Navy project with full weapons capability
General Atomics says the maritime surveillance version of its MQ-9 Predator B medium-endurance unmanned air vehicle will retain a weapons delivery capability while also carrying a multi-mode surface search radar.
The strike capability is being proposed by the company as an option for its joint bid with Lockheed Martin for the US Navy's broad area maritime surveillance (BAMS) project.
"We do not see any reason to remove the capability of the aircraft to be fitted with weapons," says John Porter, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' deputy director of business development, while noting that the BAMS requirement does not have an armed element.
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The maritime Predator B will carry more fuel than its USAF equivalent |
Speaking at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International Unmanned Systems Asia Pacific conference in Melbourne, Australia last week, Porter said the BAMS aircraft would retain a high ordnance load-out capability of 1,360kg (3,000lb), or potentially more, as the system on offer to the navy will carry more fuel than the MQ-9 Reaper now being delivered to the US Air Force.
"But for every weapon you put on you will offload fuel and therefore minimise your mission radius," he said. General Atomics faces competition for the requirement primarily from Northrop Grumman's RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV.
Existing MQ-9 aircraft are capable of carrying a weapons load comprising up to eight AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, a mix of Hellfires and 225kg (500lb) GBU-12 laser-guided bombs, or a pure LGB payload including the 2,130kg GBU-28. The USAF configuration has three hard points under each wing, plus a centreline pylon.
Weapons loading is restricted to the inboard and centre wing pylons, with the outboard third position used to support electronic support measures to assist in engaging emitting targets.
The USAF was scheduled to begin training activities with its first MQ-9 at Creech AFB, Nevada by 19 March, with the UAV having been delivered to the site early last week. "Our mission is to train MQ-9 crews and fly combat by this summer," says 42nd Attack Squadron commander Lt Col Jon Greene.
Once at full strength the squadron will have 18 Reapers. The service last week awarded General Atomics $43.6 million to produce a further two Predator B air vehicles, two mobile ground control stations and associated equipment for delivery by December 2008.
Source: Flight International
