Business Wire

CA-GENERAL-ATOMICS

6.1.2020 22:02:13 CET | Business Wire | Press release

Share
GA-ASI Concludes Successful Series of MQ-9 Demonstrations in Greece

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) concluded a series of flight demonstrations using its MQ-9 Guardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) on December 19, 2019. The demonstrations showcased the maritime surveillance capabilities of the MQ-9, and the GA-ASI-developed Detect and Avoid (DAA) system for traffic-deconfliction in civil airspace. The flights were sponsored by the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) and the Hellenic Coast Guard (HCG) and staged out of Larissa Air Base in Greece. The flights were performed for an audience of European military and civilian representatives.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200106005949/en/

“We were honored to have the HAF’s and the HCG’s support for these flight demonstrations with our MQ-9,” said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI. “The MQ-9 RPAS is already a strategic asset for NATO countries, providing mission persistence and interoperability between allies. We showcased MQ-9’s maritime surveillance and the civil airspace integration capabilities for our European customers.” The MQ-9 configuration demonstrated is operational in the U.S.

Currently GA-ASI aircraft systems support the Italian Air Force, the UK Royal Air Force, the French Air Force, and the Spanish Air Force. The Ministry of Defence for the Netherlands has selected MQ-9 for the Royal Netherlands Air Force, and the Government of Belgium has approved Belgian Defense to negotiate the acquisition of GA-ASI’s MQ-9B. In early December, the Australian Government announced selection of MQ-9B for the Australian Defence Force under Project Air 7003. GA-ASI RPAS are operated by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and NASA.

“The advanced capabilities of these aircraft are striking. Through the 10 days of demonstrations, the country of Greece has seen the value of MQ-9s for maritime patrol and EEZ monitoring, border surveillance, support for search and rescue efforts, and over-watch of forest fire response efforts,” said an HAF official.

The DAA system consists of an air-to-air radar integrated with Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS II), and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). The DAA system enables safe flight of an MQ-9 in civil airspace, and can even detect air traffic that is not actively transmitting its position.

The MQ-9 also demonstrated a multi-mode, maritime surface-search radar, and High-Definition/Full-Motion Video Optical and Infrared sensor. This sensor suite enables real-time detection and identification of large and small surface vessels in all-weather at long ranges, 360 degrees around the aircraft. The featured Raytheon SeaVue surface-search radar provided continuous tracking of maritime targets and correlation of AIS transmitters with radar detections. The Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) mode facilitates classification of vessels which are beyond optical sensor range.

For the demonstration, GA-ASI partnered with SES, a leading satellite communications (SATCOM) operator and managed services provider, with over 70 satellites in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). SES provided the GEO satellite connectivity that enabled the MQ-9 to operate securely with a high capacity datalink, enabling real-time transmission of sensor data from the aircraft, and extending its effective operational range far beyond that of “line-of-sight” datalinks.

“With our global satellite fleet, SES has been supporting the critical needs of GA-ASI and their government customers who have operated these aircraft for close to two decades,” said Nicole Robinson, Senior Vice President, Global Government at SES Networks. “We were proud to support this demonstration effort for the Hellenic Air Force as part of our long-standing relationship with General Atomics.”

Hi-resolution images from the demonstration are available to qualified media outlets from the GA-ASI and HAF media contact list. More information about the event is available at www.ga-asi.com/european-maritime-demo .

About GA-ASI

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a leading designer and manufacturer of proven, reliable Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems, including the Predator® RPA series and the Lynx® Multi-mode Radar. With more than six million flight hours, GA-ASI provides long-endurance, mission-capable aircraft with integrated sensor and data link systems required to deliver persistent flight that enables situational awareness and rapid strike. The company also produces a variety of ground control stations and sensor control/image analysis software, offers pilot training and support services, and develops meta-material antennas. For more information, visit www.ga-asi.com .

Predator and Lynx are registered trademarks of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.

Contact:

Steven Henden General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. +1 (858) 524-8101 ASI-MediaRelations@ga-asi.com

Link:

ClickThru

About Business Wire

Business Wire
Business Wire
101 California Street, 20th Floor
CA 94111 San Francisco

http://businesswire.com

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

Svante and Integrated Packaging Company Advance U.S. Biogenic CDR Project to Feasibility10.3.2026 14:57:00 CET | Press release

The bioenergy with carbon capture (BECCS) project aims to remove more than 500,000 tonnes per year of biogenic CO2 emissions from a U.S. paper mill’s recovery boiler Svante Development Inc. is co-investing to advance the project The project will generate high-quality carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits to market to Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) buyers. Svante Technologies Inc. (“Svante”) announced today that its bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) project at a paper mill in the Southeast U.S. has progressed to the feasibility study phase. The project is being developed in partnership with an integrated sustainable packaging company, following an extensive screening and pre-feasibility study conducted across several of the partner’s mills. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260310319382/en/ During the feasibility study phase, the companies will complete further engineering and design activities, cos

Forbes 40th Annual World’s Billionaires List10.3.2026 14:43:00 CET | Press release

Elon Musk Is World’s Richest Person Ever Recorded Forbes releases its 40th-annual World’s Billionaireslist, the definitive ranking of the planet’s richest people. Wealth surged to unprecedented levels over the past year, with fortunes climbing at a record pace. This year’s list features 3,428 billionaires, the most since the list’s inception in 1987. The world’s wealthiest people are worth a record $20.1 trillion combined, up from $16.1 trillion in 2025. Elon Musktops the Billionaires list for the second year in a row and is the richest person ever recorded, worth an estimated $839 billion. His net worth skyrocketed by half of a trillion dollars from last year, thanks to a rise in the value of Tesla, and SpaceX which is aiming to go public in 2026. Musk is the first person ever recorded to reach the $800 billion mark, as he moves toward becoming the world’s first trillionaire. “It’s the year of the billionaire,” said Chase Peterson-Withorn, Forbes Senior Editor, Wealth. “The planet add

Adtran sets intra-data center benchmark with all-new ultra-low-power LiteWave800™ LPO module10.3.2026 14:00:00 CET | Press release

News summary: AI clusters and GPU fabrics demand massive capacity, yet traditional 800G optics increase energy consumption, heat and cost burdens Adtran’s LiteWave800™ introduces a new class of ultra-low-power, low-latency DR8 LPO modules built on a fully re-engineered design Breakthrough energy efficiency of 1pJ/bit enables greener, scalable intra-data center links for next-generation AI and cloud workloads Adtran today launched LiteWave800™, an ultra‑low‑power 800Gbit/s DR8 linear pluggable optics (LPO) module engineered to help data centers address the power, latency, thermal and bandwidth demands of modern AI and machine-learning (ML) workloads. As GPU clusters grow and short-reach links scale across dense server racks, operators need 800Gbit/s optics that deliver higher capacity within strict power and cooling limits. LiteWave800™ answers this challenge with a fully re-engineered architecture that significantly reduces energy consumption. Operating at just 1pJ/bit and consuming on

Hyperice Introduces Hypervolt 3 Line: More Powerful, Quieter, and Longer-Lasting Percussion Massage Devices10.3.2026 14:00:00 CET | Press release

Upgraded Line Includes Redesigned Head Attachments and New Carry Case for an Enhanced Warm-Up and Recovery Experience Hyperice, a high-performance wellness brand, today announced the global launch of the Hypervolt 3 line, its most advanced percussion massage technology to date. The three-device line features the Hypervolt Go 3 ($149), the Hypervolt 3 ($249), and the Hypervolt 3 Pro ($349) — achieving significant performance upgrades across the board at more accessible price points than industry competitors. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260310934508/en/ The Hypervolt 3 line enables users to massage away stress and tension, loosen muscle knots, maintain flexibility and range of motion, accelerate warm-up before workouts, and recover quickly after activity. Hyperice has built its reputation over the last 15 years on one guiding principle: elite-level recovery technology designed to help everyone perform and mo

Verifone and Thales Unlock Seamless Global Connectivity for Payment Terminals10.3.2026 14:00:00 CET | Press release

Thales today announced a partnership with Verifone, a global leader in payment terminal solutions, to connect Verifone’s next-generation point-of-sale (POS) terminals using Thales eSIM technology. The collaboration aims to simplify device deployment and enable secure, flexible connectivity for payment terminals worldwide; as connectivity can be provisioned, managed and updated remotely throughout the device lifecycle. By using Thales eSIM management platform, Verifone removes the need for removable SIM cards and country-specific hardware versions, significantly reducing operational complexity for manufacturers and service providers alike. At the core of this partnership is Thales’s leadership in eSIM management for large-scale connected devices, enabling remote connectivity provisioning and management, in line with the latest GSMA SGP.32 IoT specifications. These standards support secure and interoperable management of connectivity profiles, making it possible to deploy devices globall

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye