General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) is working to adapt its Block 30 Ground Control Stations (GCS) to fly the company’s newer model MQ-9B SkyGuardian® and SeaGuardian® Remotely Piloted Aircraft.
When these upgrades are complete, they will enable current users of the Block 30 system, originally designed to fly the MQ-9A Reaper®, to keep that equipment and use it to operate the more capable aircraft.
Current users include the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, the Italian Air Force, the French Air Force, the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, the Spanish Air Force, and the Royal Netherlands Air Force.
GA-ASI developed the MQ-9B through its own internal research and development. The upgraded new aircraft required a new and more powerful GCS. The ongoing work with the Block 30 GCS now means that prospective users with existing stocks of equipment wouldn’t need to buy new ground control equipment to operate the MQ-9B aircraft they acquired.
GA-ASI President David R. Alexander, commented, “We want to do all we can to deliver to most capable model of our aircraft to our customers, and that’s MQ-9B. We also know that by investing our own Internal Research & Development dollars, we can deliver MQ-9B at a lower acquisition cost by adapting the GCS for our current customers.”
Company efforts to upgrade the Block 30 focus on its datalink capability for MQ-9B operation. This includes the installation of a new datalink rack, the GA Interface Multiplexor Encryptor, which is the heart of the MQ-9B communications and telemetry system. In addition to the hardware modifications, the software will also be tailored to interface with the unique capabilities on the MQ-9B.
Once the modifications are made to Block 30, the GCS will be able to fly both the MQ-9A and the MQ-9B aircraft and will be easily switchable from one to the other.
GA-ASI expects to begin flight testing the expanded Block 30 by the end of this year.
