GA-ASI forms Team SkyGuardian Belgium
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has teamed with five Belgium companies to form Team SkyGuardian Belgium, the company announced on 15 January.
Shephard reported in November 2018 that the Belgian government has approved the commencement of negotiations for the SkyGuardian aircraft.
The team includes GA-ASI, SABCA, Thales Belgium, Esterline, DronePort and Newtec. The industrial collaboration team will support the procurement of MQ-9B SkyGuardian UAS to meet the requirements of the Belgian defence force.
GA-ASI and SABCA have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for production and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) activities, including initial in-country entry into service and support for SkyGuardian. The MoU also covers production of the lightning-protected SATCOM radome for all MQ-9B SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian systems at SABCA Limburg. The companies also intend to establish a Europe-based MRO facility for MQ-9B actuators at SABCA in Brussels.
GA-ASI and Thales Belgium will collaborate on surveillance sensor data processing, exploitation and dissemination solutions, including the integration of MQ-9B into Belgian military data networks.
As part of its European supply chain, GA-ASI will procure ground control station displays from Esterline in Flanders for the SkyGuardian UAS.
DronePort Incubator provides segregated airspace and the opportunity to test and demonstrate new UAS applications. For the programme, DronePort will facilitate the identification of UAS-technology seed funding opportunities within Belgium.
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