The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) recently approved, for the first time, a point-to-point domestic flight of an unmanned aircraft that utilized the UK’s airways structure when General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) flew the MQ-9B SeaGuardian RPA from Lincolnshire, England to Moray, Scotland.
On Sept. 12, the GA-ASI-owned RPA flew from Royal Air Force (RAF) Waddington to RAF Lossiemouth. The SeaGuardian flight was controlled by NATS, the UK’s civilian Air Navigation Service Provider.
“The Airspace Coordination Notice issued by the CAA for this series of demonstration flights in UK airspace is the largest and most meticulous we have ever produced so that the airspace integration of SeaGuardian is at the highest level of safety,” said Tom Gratton, CAA Airspace Regulator.
“We appreciate the cooperation and collaboration with the CAA and NATS in helping to move the industry forward,” said GA-ASI Vice President of International Strategic Development Robert Schoeffling. “This successful flight paves the way not only for future operations of Protector in UK airspace, but also for other civil and commercial UAS flights.”
Protector RG Mk1 is the RAF’s designation for the RPA they have ordered from GA-ASI that is based on the MQ-9B. The aircraft that made the flight is operating from RAF airfields as part of an ongoing set of demonstrations being conducted by GA-ASI for the RAF.
“This flight required that we transfer control between multiple civil airspace sectors,” said Mark Watson, Head of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) Service Integration for NATS. “The procedures for this flight were close to what we do already with conventional crewed aircraft. This helped us validate that our existing methods of control are equally applicable to controlling remotely crewed aircraft – when the aircraft performs like SeaGuardian.”
Among the capabilities on display is GA-ASI’s revolutionary Detect and Avoid (DAA) system, a safety and situational awareness enhancement designed to support Protector’s flight in non-segregated UK airspace, as well as the platform’s capability to integrate into broader European airspace. DAA will enable Protector to operate amongst normal aviation traffic in the UK’s national airspace, unlike any other aircraft in its class.
The demonstrations, which will continue until the end of the month, will showcase the many operational capabilities of the MQ-9B, including the platform’s advanced maritime Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), industry-leading endurance, and interoperability with NATO partners.
SeaGuardian is the maritime version of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian. The RAF has ordered 16 Protector RG Mk1 RPA systems as part of its Protector program.
The first of two Fincantieri-built PPA (Pattugliatore Polivalente d'Altura - offshore multi-purpose patrol vessel) for the Indonesian Navy is expected…
Thailand’s DTI (Defence Technology Institute) and the Royal Thai Army recently conducted a successful test of the DTI-STD-003 bridge layer…
Eve Air Mobility has signed a letter of intent with AirX, Japan’s largest public helicopter air charter service, for up…
L3Harris Technologies has received a US$256 million order from the U.S. Army for continued production of the Enhanced Night Vision…
The Missile Defense Agency has selected Lockheed Martin to deliver the nation's new homeland missile defense capability, the Next Generation…
Collins Aerospace will introduce two major upgrades to the Ascentia software platform. Ascentia is a software solution for aircraft reliability management that…
Pratt & Whitney Canada's PT6A engine recently surpassed 25 million flight hours and 40 years of powering the Cessna Caravan…
The US Army deployed its Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system to Northern Luzon, Philippines for the first time. This deployment…
Milrem Robotics has secured a contract to deliver an undisclosed quantity of THeMIS UGVs (Unmanned Ground Vehicles) to the Japanese…
CMA CGM Air Cargo is set to expand its service by launching a transpacific route connecting Asia to North America…
Eve Air Mobility (Eve) has designated Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) as the supplier for the pylons of its electric…
Emirates SkyCargo, the cargo arm of one of the two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has established…
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has secured a contract to supply a Multi-Sensor Multi-Mission Radar (MS-MMR) system for the air defence…
The first Embraer E190F, a jet converted from passenger transport to freighter (E-Freighter), successfully concluded its inaugural flight in São…
The Government of Greece officially announced its plans to purchase 35 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters from Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin…
Cathay Cargo resumed its Ho Chi Minh City freighter service on April 4, 2024, after a four-year hiatus due to…
Skykraft has secured approval from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for its spectrum filing for a constellation of 2976 satellites.…
The U.S. Navy, in partnership with Lockheed Martin, has successfully conducted a historic Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) flight test with…
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing a contract worth up to $559 million over five years to operate, maintain…
Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) introduced the ARBEL, hailed as the world’s first computerized small arms system, on Thursday (Apr. 4).…
Hong Kong’s Government Flying Service (GFS) has integrated the H175 helicopter flight simulator developed by Indra into their training regimen.…
After a hiatus of over 30 years, Air Canada is set to return to Singapore's Changi International Airport with the…
FLY91, India's youngest regional airline, announced a partnership with IBS Software on Wednesday (Apr. 3). Aiming to enhance its commercial…
Malaysia Airlines announced its partnership with RECARO Aircraft Seating to equip its upcoming Airbus A330neo aircraft with the CL3810 economy…
Rolls-Royce announced that the company has begun flight testing its latest aero engine the Pearl 10X on its dedicated Boeing…
Avolon, a global aviation finance company, has agreed to sell and lease back four new Airbus A330neo aircraft with Cebu…
Malaysia Airlines and India’s largest airline, IndiGo, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a codeshare partnership…
The Indonesian flag carrier airline, Garuda Indonesia, unveiled plans to expand its aircraft fleet with the procurement of eight new…
Belgian Defence has placed an order for six R7 Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) from Exail. These unmanned underwater vehicles are…
Greenerwave, a deeptech start-up specialising in the control of electromagnetic waves, launched its first SATCOM user terminal after securing EUR15…
Headquartered in Singapore with reporters spread across all major regions, GBP Aerospace & Defence is a leading media house that publishes three publications that serve the aerospace and defence sector - Asian Defence Technology, Asian Airlines & Aerospace and Daily News. Known industry-wide for quality journalism, GBP Aerospace & Defence is present at more international tradeshows and exhibitions than any other competing publication in the region.
For over three decades, our award-winning team of reporters has been producing top-notch content to help readers stay abreast of the latest developements in the field of commercial aviation, MRO, defence, and Space.
Copyright 2024. GBP. All Rights Reserved.
Home Defence & Security Space Commercial Aviation Maintence Repair & Overhaul Daily News Events About Us Click Me!
2024 GBP all rights reserved.