Lightning strikes for MQ-9B
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has carried out successful lightning tests on its second full-scale MQ-9B in Poway, California, the company announced on 19 June.
The test was conducted jointly by GA-ASI and NTS Pittsfield, a developer of sophisticated lightning protection systems for the aerospace industry.
During the test, a scaled lightning current was injected onto the aircraft structure, simulating a direct lightning strike. The current flowed along the aircraft structure and exited from a predetermined return location, verifying the effectiveness of the lightning protection design.
The same lightning protection technology will be used by GA-ASI for its proposed MQ-25 unmanned aerial refueling tanker.
MQ-9B is a certifiable (STANAG 4671) version of GA-ASI’s multi-mission Predator B fleet of RPA. The company named its baseline MQ-9B aircraft SkyGuardian and the maritime surveillance variant is called SeaGuardian.
A weaponised variant of the system is being acquired by the UK Royal Air Force under the Protector RG Mk 1 programme.
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
Iranian UAV threat leaves Israel’s defence industry searching for answers
Iran has continued to invest heavily in its drone-building capacity, supplying Russia and Iranian proxies throughout the Middle East, leading defence experts in Israel to call for more defensive solutions be developed to deter the threat from UAVs.
-
Emgepron and Tidewise team up to develop first ‘made-in-Brazil’ USV
Brazil's Emgepron and Tidewise have partnered to construct the Suppressor unmanned surface vessel by 2025 amid potential interest from the Brazilian Navy.
-
Autonomous navigation drives UUVs proliferation in the Indo-Pacific
The US Department of Defence has teamed up with Anduril Industries to develop advanced AI-driven long-range uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs), countering China’s escalating UUV advancements.
-
Israel’s SpearUAV positions Viper loitering munitions for tactical and strategic functions
SpearUAV’s Viper family of loitering munitions has been developed to provide effects across multiple domains.
-
UK unveils $5.7 billion uncrewed systems plan with an eye on Ukraine
The UK has outlined a strategy on how it will spend billions of dollars on uncrewed systems over the next decade as it transitions to a more mixed force of crewed and uncrewed platforms.