General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) flew the new NATO Pod, a joint development between GA-ASI and Sener Aeroespacial of Spain, for the first time on Nov. 23.
The NATO Pod is built by Sener Aeroespacial in Europe to meet NATO airworthiness standards, while increasing configuration and payload options for MQ-9A and MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft produced by GA-ASI. The new product is designed for international customers that are interested in rapidly integrating sovereign payload capabilities to achieve specific mission objectives.
The test flight was performed at the Yuma Proving Grounds using a GA-ASI owned MQ-9A aircraft. GA-ASI is working with Sener and other European suppliers to integrate their sensor capabilities within this new pod.
The NATO Pod is a flexible, scalable, certifiable enclosure with the structural features to host wide-ranging mission systems. The pod meets DEF STAN and STANAG certification standards for airworthiness, including lightning protection and bird impact.
“We’ve worked closely with Sener to meet requirements and keep our combined teams in sync to achieve this great outcome,” said GA-ASI Vice President of Mission Payloads and Exploitation, Satish Krishnan. “Our successful test flight allows us to begin marketing this new capability to our international partner nations as a way to rapidly add sovereign payload capability.”
“This first flight is the fruit of a long collaboration between GA-ASI and Sener and we are proud to have contributed to the success of the project,” said Rafael Orbe, Defence General Director at Sener Aeroespacial. “We look forward to continuing the good work together, which we are sure will bring us more successes in the future.”
This industrial cooperation effort introduces European manufacturing of GA-ASI designed mission hardware and opens the door to customer-specified mission payloads – including technologies that are built outside the U.S. – for deployment on MQ-9A and MQ-9B. The NATO Pod that was tested featured a payload built by Arpège S.A.S. France.
MQ-9As are operated by a number of European countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain. GA-ASI’s newer MQ-9B variant has been acquired by the UK and Belgium. Recently Poland announced that it will lease MQ-9A.
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