The fiercely named Predator has drawn another humanitarian assignment.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. announced that it is making a company-owned and operated Predator C aircraft available for humanitarian aid missions.
GA-ASI has named the remotely piloted, unmanned aircraft Angel One.
The Poway-built aircraft is available to deliver food and medicine to populations cut off by natural disasters or war — for example, the Syria conflict.
Predator C is unlike other Predator models because it is jet-powered. It can reach speeds of 400 knots, while the advertised speed of the turboprop-powered Predator B is 240 knots.
Angel One could carry HDR (humanitarian daily ration) packs in its internal bay, making up to two drops at the most opportune locations. Measuring 6 by 8 by 2 inches (about the size of a hardback novel), a single HDR contains 2,200 calories, conforms to the dietary restrictions of most people in the world and — most importantly — can withstand an air drop.
GA-ASI said it can deliver 8,500 pounds of HDR packs each day, enough food for 3,400 people.
Angel One could fly up to three missions of three hours each per day for as long as humanitarian relief is required, GA-ASI said. Scattering HDRs from an aircraft works better than air-dropping pallets of food, the company added.
Most of the Predator aircraft that GA-ASI has built carry missiles, bombs and a variety of sensors — but already they have been adapted to humanitarian missions performed by the military.
In mid-2015, GA-ASI noted that Predator aircraft operated by the Italian air force helped Italy’s government spot refugees crossing the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa in leaky, overcrowded boats.
Italy had a fleet of 13 Predator aircraft at the time, split between the original Predator model and huskier Predator B.
Italy’s Operation Mare Nostrum sent Predators to gather intelligence to help authorities rescue refugees heading toward Italy. The Predator’s cameras and sensors were able to count people in the boats and give military commanders a sense of how seaworthy those boats were — and helped those authorities set priorities on who got attention first.
GA-ASI is an affiliate of privately held General Atomics, and is based in Poway.
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Pentagon Lacks Spending Plan: With the presidential election over, things might start moving faster in Washington. Among the unfinished business is the Pentagon budget. The federal fiscal year began on Oct. 1 but the Defense Department is still operating under a stopgap bill called a continuing resolution. Because of that, it can’t begin any new programs. An aide to Rep. Duncan D. Hunter (R-El Cajon) said a second continuing resolution is likely and there may not be a defense budget with the president’s signature on it until early 2017.
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Swarming and Demodulating: Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc. said this month that its Micro Systems Inc. business unit flew swarms of small unmanned aerial vehicles during this fall’s Black Dart exercise at Eglin Air Force Base on the Florida panhandle. Black Dart concentrates on how the military might defend against very small unmanned aircraft. The Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense Organization puts on the annual exercise, which was classified until a few years ago.
Also this month, Kratos (Nasdaq: KTOS) said that its RT Logic subsidiary received a contract to provide an intermediate frequency demodulator for an unspecified U.S. Army telemetry modernization program. The company gave no financial details. Kratos’ headquarters is near University Towne Center.
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Shipshape: The U.S. Navy awarded BAE Systems’ Barrio Logan shipyard a contract to upgrade the dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry. The deal for depot-level maintenance, alterations and modifications could be worth up to $19.3 million and will run through September. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center awarded the deal, announced Nov. 14.
The contract follows other significant deals for BAE Systems that were also announced in early November. There is a five-year deal to provide shipyard services to two brand new ships, the USS Zumwalt and its sister ship, the USS Michael Monsoor. Both are destroyers but they are radically different from the standard, Arleigh Burke-class ship. The deal could be worth up to $192.7 million and will last through 2021.
Then there is a $36 million deal to upgrade the amphibious transport dock USS New Orleans — significant because the New Orleans will be the first ship to go into BAE Systems’ large, new dry dock. The deal runs through March 2018.
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Short Takes: Here’s a staggering statistic. Law360 reports that the Obama administration OK’d $278 billion in overseas arms sales during Obama’s eight years in office — twice the amount of the George W. Bush administration. … Cubic Corp. said Nov. 9 that it promoted Paul Gierow to vice president of technology for Cubic Mission Solutions. Gierow was the co-founder and president of GATR Technologies, an Alabama company that produces portable, inflatable satellite antennas that resemble beach balls. Cubic (NYSE: CUB) bought GATR in February. Cubic Mission Solutions is a new subsidiary that oversees networked C4ISR capabilities for military, intelligence and even commercial customers. C4ISR stands for command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
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