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News archive: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI)

Every Bulletin story and press release covering General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI), newest first.

Whole archive

23 items

24 June Designed to operate alongside crewed fighters, CCA are intended to extend combat mass, survivability and situational awareness in contested environments through human-machine teaming.

U.S. Air Force awards production contracts for CCA development

General Atomics, Anduril and three autonomy software providers have secured key production awards as the Air Force pushes to field Collaborative Combat Aircraft by 2030.

10 June Around 500 guests from government, industry, defence and aviation attended the roll-out ceremony.

GA-ATS unveils Do228 NXT for special missions

The next-generation aircraft has combined modern systems with the Dornier platform's long-established versatility and reliability.

28 May The joint platform is designed to track multiple airborne threats simultaneously while operating beyond the line of sight.

Saab and GA-ASI fly LoyalEye early warning demonstrator

The MQ-9B test flight begins an evaluation campaign for an unmanned airborne warning system designed to extend surveillance reach.

26 February The YFQ-42A completed a four-hour autonomous flight managed by a ground-based human operator.

GA-ASI names YFQ-42A Dark Merlin and completes autonomous tests

The designation reflects fighter and uncrewed status, while recent flights demonstrated mission autonomy software in four-hour test operations.

19 February The achievement forms part of an accelerated YFQ-42A development schedule that began in August 2025 and has already included multiple aircraft builds and autonomous take-offs and landings.

GA-ASI advances YFQ-42A autonomy with Collins Sidekick

The four-hour airborne mission validated third-party software operating through A-GRA within the Collaborative Combat Aircraft programme.

22 January GA-ASI broke ground on a new hangar in El Mirage, California on January 14. Bart Roper and Ryan Elmer of Parkway; Tuan Nguyen, Jim Burghard, Linden Blue and Jesse Armendarez of San Bernardino County; and Dave Hyatt were in attendance.

El Mirage grows to support MQ-9B production and testing

The 85,000 sq fr facility will accommodate SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian RPAs along with Certifiable Ground Control Stations and launch pads

20 November 2025 The F‑22 issued in-flight commands to the MQ‑20 through a tablet and Lockheed Martin’s GRACE module.

Fighter and drone cooperate in Nevada crewed-uncrewed test

An F-22 and MQ-20 flew in coordination to demonstrate open-architecture control using government-owned communication systems and shared radio integration.

17 July 2025 General Atomics Aeronautical Systems unmanned jets include the MQ-20 Avenger, XQ-67A and YFQ-42A.

XQ-67A combines autonomy with tactical datalinks in desert testing

Test flights have demonstrated that the combat aerial vehicle could work in real time with both piloted and autonomous systems.

21 May 2025 The YFQ-42A production-representative test vehicle.

GA-ASI moves into ground testing of CCA contender

Ground testing of the YFQ-42A production-representative test vehicle is vital preparation ahead of its planned first flight later this summer.

15 May 2025 The UK’s MTC decision is the first of its kind for a large unmanned aircraft system.

Protector is first large UAS with unrestricted UK military certification

The certification has cleared the RAF’s Protector for unrestricted use over populous areas and marked a major shift in uncrewed system airworthiness recognition.

28 August 2024

First EagleEye radar comes off the GA-ASI production line

The EagleEye radar performs Moving Target Indication (MTI), detects changes, builds stripmaps, and yields other precise insights to analysts, commanders, and operators using industry-standard data formats.

11 January 2024 The equivalent of 40,000 operating hours have been completed as part of fatigue testing on the MQ-9B.

GA-ASI completes first lifetime for full-scale fatigue test on MQ-9B

Testing will simulate three lifetimes of operations: Two of these replicate the operation of an aircraft under normal conditions, and the third lifetime has intentional damage inflicted on the airframe's critical components

12 January 2023 First flight of the new variant was last November, GA-ASI reports.

GA-ASI confirms first flight of M2DO-ready Reaper

Features of the new variant MQ-9A include improved power distribution and redundancy, GPS improvements, radar altimeters, nose wheel steering, and angle of attack sensor system improvements.

5 January 2023

GA-ASI partners with Bharat Forge for manufacturing in India

Bharat Forge has digitally integrated manufacturing, assembly and testing facilities for aerospace components and systems. It manufactures structural and engine parts and subsystems for aircraft and engines.

18 August 2022 The SkyGuardian in flight.

GA-ASI tests the options with PT6 for SkyGuardian

The PT6 E-Series was chosen as a reliable and versatile turboprop engine family that will deliver the performance characteristics required as GA-ASI continues its development of MQ-9B capabilities.

28 April 2022 GA-ASI’s MQ-9B SeaGuardian.

GA-ASI selects latest Seaspray AESA radar for the MQ-9

Leonardo's 7500E V2 radar is the latest variant of the Seaspray Active Electronically Scanned Array radar family, featuring updated processor and receiver technology to meet the demands of the ISR mission set.

24 March 2022 The GKN Aerospace V-tail is a standard component of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian.

GA-ASI installs first V-tail from GKN onto SkyGuardian

The first of the advanced composite V-tails was shipped from the GKN in Cowes, UK, to GA-ASI in Poway, California and fitted onto an MQ-9B RPA, which will ultimately be delivered to the RAF as a Protector RPA.

9 March 2022 The new Evolution line of advanced UAS will deliver next-gen UAS that lead in advanced, affordable, attritable and autonomous combat power.

Gambit kicks off a third product line for GA-ASI

GA-ASI has launched more than 25 UAS variants, beginning with the Gnat in 1992 and has now introduced a third aircraft class - alongside the established Predator line and recently announced Mojave - dubbed Evolution.

24 February 2021

GKN begins V-tail production for SkyGuardian

GKN Aerospace has been a supplier to GA-ASI's MQ-9 program for a decade, starting with the design and build of the fuel bladder system in Portsmouth. This further contract will help its drive to gain defence business.

21 January 2021 The Seaspray 7500E V2 radar uses Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology to detect, track and classify hundreds of maritime contacts.

SeaGuardian gains option of Leonardo Seaspray radar

The Seaspray enhances the capabilities of GA-ASI's MQ-9B and builds on a close partnership with Leonardo. Initial integration work of Leonardo's SAGE electronic surveillance onto SeaGuardian was recently completed.

7 January 2021

GA-ASI provides the development platform for Skyborg AI

Avenger remotely-piloted aircraft will be equipped with upgraded datalinks and the Skyborg software as part of experiments to allow piloted aircraft to control them in flight.

7 December 2020 MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) has completed Full Scale Static (FSS) wing structure testing.

Wing testing takes MQ-9B closer to non-segregated flying

GA-ASI reports that the wing of its MQ-9B SkyGuardian has passed three months of static testing with flying colours, matching analytical predictions closely. Testing exceeded 150% of expected maximum loads.

30 September 2020 The Protector will be handed over to the UK's Royal Air Force in 2021.

MQ-9B takes first flight as the UK's Protector

GA-ASI's remotely piloted system has been selected by Belgium and Australia, as well as the UK. It is built for adverse-weather performance with lightning protection, a damage tolerant airframe and a de-icing system.