MQ-1 Predator XP
Predator® XP is the latest in a long line of GA-ASI Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) systems that carries the Predator name, beginning with the highly successful "RQ-1" Predator aircraft first flown by the U.S. Air Force in 1995. Predator since has been named by Smithsonian's Air & Space magazine as one of the top ten aircraft that changed the world. Offering unprecedented reliability, the aircraft has the highest operational readiness rate in the U.S. Air Force and is also operated by the U.S. Government, Italian Air Force, and other international customers worldwide.
Predator XP is an updated version of the flagship Predator RPA that has been licensed by the U.S. Government for sale to a broader customer base, including Middle Eastern, North African, and South American regions. Currently in production, Predator XP has an endurance of 35 hours and can ascend up to 25,000 feet. The aircraft has been updated with state-of-the-art technologies, including an automatic takeoff and landing capability, redundant flight control surfaces, enhanced avionics, and triple-redundant flight control computers. Predator XP is equipped with both Line-of-Sight (LOS) and Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLOS) data link systems for over-the-horizon operations.
Additionally, it may be integrated with multiple ISR sensors, including state-of-the-art Electro-optical Infrared (EO/IR) cameras and GA-ASI's Lynx® Multi-mode Radar which features a state-of-the-art Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) mode that offers all-weather, day/night performance for a wide-area search capability. Its Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) mode provides a quick and easy method for locating moving vehicles. The radar's new Maritime Wide Area Search (MWAS) mode provides the capability to complete a variety of maritime missions successfully, including coastal surveillance, drug interdiction, long-range surveillance, small target detection, and search and rescue operations. Predator XP also is equipped with an Automatic Identification System (AIS) for identifying vessels at sea.
Predator XP features an automatic takeoff and landing system (ATLS) that allows the aircraft to be launched and recovered without any operator interaction. Its ATLS is based upon GA-ASI's Gray Eagle ATLS, which has conducted tens of thousands of takeoffs and landings successfully.
GA-ASI's Claw® integrated sensor payload control and analysis software is available with Predator XP. Claw features moving-map displays, enables cross-cueing of all onboard sensors, pre-mission planning, and post-mission sensor data analysis and exploitation. Offering unsurpassed ISR capabilities, Predator XP is available to support a variety of overland and maritime Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions worldwide.
On 22 February 2013 General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) announced the procurement of its first Predator® XP RPA system by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Predator XP is an updated version of the company’s flagship Predator RPA that has been licensed by the U.S. Government for sale to a broader customer base, including countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
“Two years ago we made a commitment to help the UAE strengthen its national security and protect critical infrastructure, and today we are pleased to share the news that this allied nation will soon be realizing the benefits of Predator XP’s long-endurance and wide-area surveillance capabilities,” said J. Neal Blue, chairman and CEO, GA-ASI.
The UAE Air Force & Air Defence completed contract negotiations with International Golden Group (IGG), a leading supplier of integrated defense systems in the Middle East and GA-ASI’s partner, to procure Predator XP to meet the surveillance needs of the UAE Government. Following the expected near-term completion of negotiations between IGG and GA-ASI, and between GA-ASI and the Abu Dhabi-based Tawazun Economic Council to establish a Joint Venture (JV) for long-term service and support of Predator XP in the UAE, the procurement will be complete.
Offering improved Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, Predator XP exhibits the same physical dimensions, altitude, speed, and long endurance (up to 35 hours) as the proven “RQ-1” Predator A aircraft. The aircraft also has been updated to include triple-redundant avionics, an Automatic Takeoff and Landing System (ATLS), GA-ASI’s Lynx® Multi-mode Radar with Maritime Wide Area Surveillance (MWAS), High-Definition Electro-optic video, an improved Claw® sensor control and image analysis software system, an Automatic Identification System (AIS), and a more efficient propulsion system.
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