New production line for Predator landing gear
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) and GKN Aerospace Fokker have opened a new production line for landing gear systems for the Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper UAS in Helmond, the Netherlands, it was announced on 26 April.
GKN Aerospace's Fokker is GA-ASI's Dutch in-country partner for the provision of Predator to the Dutch armed forces.
The highly automated production line will have an expected production volume of 30-50 landing gear systems per year, with the first to be delivered in Q2 2017 for the UAS' global supply chain.
The companies will explore the possibility of applying advanced composites technologies to reduce the weight of the landing gear and improve production lead times.
The Dutch government announced its selection of the MQ-9 in late 2013. The Dutch air force will field a single system consisting of four UAS and ground control station.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
Jammer resistant drone designs spark search for countermeasures
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has driven another stage of evolution for drones and the counter measures to defend against them.
-
L3Harris launches Amorphous software for control of uncrewed platforms
The new Amorphous software is a universal controller that would allow a single operator to control a swarm of “thousands” of uncrewed systems, from drones to underwater platforms.
-
ideaForge unveils new UAVs at Aero India 2025
India UAV supplier ideaForge has launched the Netra 5 and Switch V2 drones at Aero India 2025, boasting of enhanced endurance, AI-driven autonomy and improved operational capabilities.
-
Shaping the future of defence: What 2025 holds for the global drone market
The UAV market is experiencing unprecedented growth, with innovations in technology and battlefield applications driving demand across military sectors. From the battlefields of Ukraine to NATO exercises and beyond, drones are transforming how wars are fought and supported.
-
Maris-Tech confirms customers signing up for Jupiter Drones codec and AI-powered system
Launched at AUSA in October, the company’s multi-stream video codec is attempting to bring a new lease of life to drone technology through its AI accelerator.
-
AUSA 2024: Quantum-Systems targets big 2025 with UAS developments
Quantum-Systems has been upgrading its UAS family, with new versions of the Vector, Reliant and Twister drones set for release throughout 2025.