GKN Aerospace Predator fuel kit contract extended
GKN Aerospace will supply an additional 100 fuel bladder systems for the General Atomics Predator UAV, under a new $5 million contract announced on 28 January.
The new agreement will see GKN Aerospace continue to deliver the ‘fit and forget’ fuel bladder systems through 2014. The company has already delivered 75 ship sets to date under a previous contract with General Atomics.
The GKN Aerospace-designed and developed fuel kits are manufactured using the company’s new vacuum forming process and durable and lightweight poly-urethane (PU) material.
According to GKN, vacuum forming this material allows fuel bladders to be created in complex shapes that fully exploit all available space on the Predator airframe, maximising the fuel load capacity and platform endurance. These developments also produce a bladder system with a lower parts count, simplifying manufacture, bladder installation and system support.
Ron Kato, vice president and managing director, special products group, GKN Aerospace, said: ‘We are very proud to have been selected to provide what are vital items for the long endurance Predator platform. We have been supplying fuel systems for many decades and for many airframe platforms and invest constantly our research and development activity in this area - allowing us to offer more effective and more environmentally friendly systems. The Predator programme fully exploits all our recent advances in both manufacturing and materials technologies.’
The kits will continue to be manufactured at the GKN Aerospace facility in Alabama.
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
![US Navy foresees an uncrewed future for its surface and underwater fleet]()
US Navy foresees an uncrewed future for its surface and underwater fleet
The service has been conducting various procurement and development efforts to integrate unmanned surface and underwater vehicles into its inventory.
-
![Ready for the race: Air separation drone swarms vs. air defence systems]()
Ready for the race: Air separation drone swarms vs. air defence systems
As the dynamics of aerial combat rapidly evolve, Chinese scientists have engineered a sophisticated air separation drone model that can fragment into up to six drones, each capable of executing distinct battlefield roles and challenging the efficacy of current anti-drone defences such as the UK’s Dragonfire laser system.
-
![Israel’s MALE UAVs ‘must adapt’ to Iranian-made air defences]()
Israel’s MALE UAVs ‘must adapt’ to Iranian-made air defences
Advancements in air defence technologies have begun to reshape aerial combat dynamics in the Middle East, as illustrated by recent events involving the Israeli Air Force and Hezbollah.
-
![Hundreds more UAS sent to Ukraine forces with thousands more on the way]()
Hundreds more UAS sent to Ukraine forces with thousands more on the way
Both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war have been using UAS for effective low-cost attacks, as well as impactful web and social media footage. Thousands more have now been committed to Ukrainian forces.
-
![AI and software companies selected for US Army Robotic Combat Vehicle subsystems]()
AI and software companies selected for US Army Robotic Combat Vehicle subsystems
The US Army has intentions to develop light, medium and heavy variants of the Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) as part of the branche’s Next Generation Combat Vehicle family.
