MQ-9B Skyguardian

>> COVER STORY MQ-9B SkyGuardian

General Atomics Brings the Future of Unmanned Systems to JUSTAS BY JOETEY ATTARIWALA

Canadian defence requirements have long articulated the need to augment Canada’s persistent ISR and strike contributions supporting the defence of North America and deployed operations. Currently, Canada has no persistent UAS capability to support domestic or expeditionary coalition tasking.

Canada’s JUSTAS (Joint Unmanned new defence policy, we believe MQ-9B UNMATCHED CONFIGURABILITY Surveillance and Target Acquisition System) SkyGuardian is the best solution to deliver As a truly multi-mission aircraft, the MQ-9B Project has been tasked with finding a multi-mission capability, a sustainable Arctic SkyGuardian and its nine hardpoints offer solution to this “need”. Prime Minister Justin presence, interoperability with existing Royal unmatched configurability to meet an Trudeau recently responded to questions Canadian Air Force [RCAF] assets and Five operator's mission requirements. In a basic regarding Canada’s potential use of “drones” Eyes [FVEY] and NATO allies, all with low ISR configuration, the MQ-9B will likely have saying, “We’ve looked at a broad range of acquisition cost and sustainment,” said an L3 WESCAM MX series EO/IR sensor, a tools and opportunities that we have, to David Alexander, GA-ASI’s president of high performance 360° multi-mode maritime invest in the kinds of things that are going to Aircraft Systems. radar to support Arctic patrol and maritime be necessary in the future.” In addition to addressing the Canadian surveillance missions, and the GA-ASI Lynx General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, security requirement, GA-ASI will also involve Multi-mode Radar. Inc. (GA-ASI) is offering its new MQ-9B Canadian industry in sustainment of the With type certification being a key operat- SkyGuardian as a certifiable solution to this system and development of new capabilities ing feature for a MALE (Medium Altitude long-standing requirement. “With Canada’s for MQ-9B and other Predator series systems. Long Endurance) UAS within civil airspace, GA-ASI President Dave Alexander (center) and CEO Linden Blue (right) hosted a group international dignitaries in January 2017 for the unveiling of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian at the GA-ASI test facility in Gray Butte, Calif.

GA-ASI began looking at the feasibility of fuel, lightning protection, anti-ice and de-ice, or SELEX. Maritime configured aircraft certifying the MQ-9A. The result was that Automatic Takeoff and Landing Capability would also be fitted with the Automatic this option would be too invasive and cost- (ATLC), multi-band redundant Beyond Line- Identification System (AIS) transponder to aid prohibitive. The company embarked on an of-Sight (BLOS) communications, and Sense in the positive identification of vessels. internal investment to improve upon the and Avoid (SAA) and Due Regard Radar The MQ-9B can also be configured system architecture of the MQ-9A and de- (DRR) Systems. The MQ-9B SkyGuardian’s for Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) missions. velop the brand new, type-certifiable MQ-9B type certifiable design, its FVEY/NATO Payloads can include Electronic Support SkyGuardian, which has now been officially interoperability, and its system architecture is Measures (ESM), Radar Warning Receivers designated MQ-9B PROTECTOR by the U.S. all based on over 2 million flight hours for the (RWR), and a variety of SIGINT packages. The Air Force (USAF) and U.K. Royal Air Force MQ-9A family of aircraft. aircraft will also be capable of using the Link- (RAF), both of which are part of the Five Eyes 16 military tactical data exchange network. alliance, along with Canada. SPECIAL MARITIME Future capabilities for the MQ-9B include The MQ-9B SkyGuardian is GA-ASI’s CONFIGURATION communications relay, anti-submarine most advanced Remotely Piloted Aircraft The MQ-9B can also be configured for warfare, electronic attack, ballistic missile (RPA) to date, leveraging the mature system maritime operations. GA-ASI developed defence, and more. Weapons capability will architecture of the legacy MQ-9A operated a maritime radar kit containing a 360° be available on the MQ-9B SkyGuardian by the USAF, and it incorporates additional multi-mode maritime radar fielded on and will leverage the proven precision strike capabilities and enhancements supporting U.S. Department of Homeland Security capability of the MQ-9A Reaper which is mission capability, global industrial expertise, Predator B aircraft. This same kit can also typically armed with 500-pound GBU-12 and unfettered access to national and be fitted to MQ-9B’s centerline hardpoint. Paveway II laser guided bombs, and/or AGM- international airspace. Current MQ-9 series SkyGuardian can support a host of maritime 114 Hellfire missiles. users include the United States, United radars facilitating long-range surveillance, “MQ-9B fulfills a number of the objectives Kingdom, Italy, France and Spain. coastal surveillance, small target detection, laid out in the recently released Canadian The MQ-9B’s NATO STANAG and search and rescue operations and the Defence Policy, but the benefits it brings 4671-compliant design includes lengthened maritime kit can host a range of radars, goes way beyond that,” Aria Mahdion, GA- 24m wings with provisions for additional including those manufactured by Raytheon ASI Business Development Lead for Canada,

20 WWW.CANADIANDEFENCEREVIEW.COM SkyGuardian builds on the success of previous GA-ASI RPAs like the MQ-9A Reaper, seen here Photo: Joetey Attariwala recently told CDR. “It would provide Canada temperatures, limited high-bandwidth savings to all operators, and that’s important with a new low cost/high value capability SATCOM coverage, and inhospitable when operating over the long distances you that supports civil and military applications, conditions that prevent traditional staffing have in Canada. The Mission Control Element and its Arctic patrol mission would be a and logistics approaches. Designed for all- significant contribution to NORAD.” weather operations, the MQ-9B specifically The primary mission of JUSTAS will be the addresses these challenges in the Arctic. defense of Canadian territory, including the It is equipped with a proven ice protection Arctic and maritime approaches. system and while MQ-9B is not yet fielded, the wing and tail electro-expulsive de-ice and DEFENDING CANADA’S ARCTIC engine air inlet anti-ice capabilities have been In an interview with CDR earlier this successfully employed with the U.S. Military. year, Lieutenant General Michael Hood, Furthermore, MQ-9B offers a BLOS Commander, Royal Canadian Air Force, SATCOM data-link capable of operations responded to a question regarding the status above 70° north, while maintaining of the JUSTAS project this way, “You’ve command and control from anywhere on probably heard me say I have not been earth. MQ-9B’s 3,000 nautical mile mission disappointed with the fact that the program radius combined with a new BLOS ATOL was delayed because of the uniqueness of system allows for launch and recovery of the the Canadian environment and the Arctic, aircraft from a hospitable forward operating and off our coasts. Technology is now base. The BLOS ATLC reduces the crew increasing, certainly in the MALE type UAVs needed at the launch and recovery site. where we see solutions that would work in “Reduction in manpower is a big CAE’s Armstrong says his company’s the environmental conditions that we would consideration for operators,” said GA’s partnership with GA-ASI makes the MQ- have to operate.” Mahdion. “We feel the SATCOM launch and 9B SkyGuardian “the ideal platform for conducting surveillance and delivering the And, it’s true, the challenges that recovery capability, coupled with a small combat capability Canada needs for the JUSTAS faces in the Arctic include sub-zero expeditionary footprint will yield significant JUSTAS program"

WWW.CANADIANDEFENCEREVIEW.COM 21 This MQ-9B SkyGuardian flew from Laguna Airfield at Yuma Proving Grounds, Ariz., through U.S. National Airspace, to GA-ASI’s Gray Butte Flight Operations facility near Palmdale, California and the flight represented an important step towards SkyGuardian certification and associated satellite infrastructure could there is no type certification behind the air- A GROUND-UP REDESIGN be established at the Main Operating Base, craft. This greatly limits where these aircraft The MQ-9B is a ground-up redesign of negating the need for satellite infrastructure can fly in domestic or friendly airspace. the previous variants in order to achieve at the Forward Operating Bases [FOB].” Conversely, if an aircraft is certified, a certifiability to fly in non-segregated country can issue a Military Flight Certificate airspace and to integrate seamlessly with REDUCING MANNING AT FOB that allows it to conduct “file and fly” manned aircraft. GA-ASI expects the SkyGuardian will incorporate SATCOM Auto operations in domestic airspace. In essence, SkyGuardian to achieve certification in 2019, Takeoff and Landing Capability (ATLC), certification is an enabler to access national when the aircraft will initially meet NATO and divert capability to help minimize the airspace systems, and offers greater flexibility STANAG-4671 airworthiness standards, aircraft’s Launch and Recovery Element and capability than what an MFR provides. and will subsequently meet domestic (LRE) footprint, thereby reducing manning Of course, this issue is relatively moot when airworthiness certification standards in requirements at FOB. This capability would it comes to military combat operations since cooperation with the U.S. Federal Aviation allow Canada to operate the SkyGuardian the military would control the airspace and Administration (FAA). This is no small feat from a Main Operating Base and only require provide aircraft separation. as numerous technologies and design a small team of maintainers with a laptop However, this becomes much more attributes need to be consistent for at expeditionary or FOB bases. The benefit complex when a system like the MQ-9B and production aircraft. is that all pilots and sensor operators can its 6,000 nautical mile ferry range comes To ensure certifiability, GA-ASI has be centrally located and can work from a into play. This kind of range means it could had to change some of its manufacturing certifiable Ground Control Station (GCS). The travel through multiple controlled / country methods in order to have repeatable certifiable GCS works by segregating flight airspaces prior to even getting on station for processes and procedures, and it has also critical systems from the aircraft’s mission a military operation. For domestic operations, changed some of the composite materials it systems. The GCS can support manual pilot- the value of certification means an aircraft uses. To significantly improve the integrity in-the-loop to fully automated operations. can integrate into national airspace and of the airframe, all MQ-9B aircraft will MQ-9A aircraft currently operate on a would no longer have to segregate from be constructed with certified composite Military Flight Release (MFR) scheme, which manned aircraft enabling a variety of civil materials using riveting and bonding is restrictive in the national airspace because mission applications. processes that yield a service life of

22 WWW.CANADIANDEFENCEREVIEW.COM 40,000 hours, which is double that of the Joe Armstrong is vice-president and capability as we have on our Reaper. We also MQ-9A aircraft. general manager at CAE and for this report had a requirement that we wanted it to be In order to meet STANAG-4671, FAA, he told CDR, "CAE and General Atomics have certifiable, so a study was conducted and and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) established a close partnership in developing the certifiable Predator B was the only viable requirements for all-weather capability, training solutions for GA-ASI's family of option that we could see for us to achieve MQ-9B incorporates de-ice, anti-ice, and remotely piloted aircraft." He explained, "Our the military type certification we need here lightning protection. These are essential experience and expertise in operational and in the UK.” capabilities required for a certifiable aircraft in-service support combined with world- to operate in the national airspace, and class training solutions will help make the THE RAF EXPERIENCE is particularly important in countries like MQ-9B SkyGuardian the ideal platform for According to the RAF, an aircraft needs to Canada, where the weather can be harsh and conducting surveillance and delivering the be certifiable to operate in UK airspace. often unpredictable. combat capability Canada needs from the From that perspective, the Military Aviation JUSTAS program." Authority needs to approve everything ROBUST SUITE OF SENSORS from the start of the design and all the way MQ-9B also incorporates a very robust suite CAE PROVIDES MRO AS WELL through manufacture, and to be able to of sensors for its Detect and Avoid system to AS TRAINING & SIMULATION underwrite its safety to be able to operate in operate in non-segregated airspace. These “CAE is our partner for simulation and unrestricted airspace. consist of Traffic Collision Avoidance System mission training opportunities around “Being in right at the start with General (TCAS), Automatic Dependent Surveillance- the world,” said Ben Brookshire, GA-ASI Atomics gives us that opportunity to be able Broadcast (ADS-B), and an optional Due Industrial Cooperation and Offsets. “CAE’s to meet all of the stringent UK laws and Regard Radar (DRR) system. These systems training expertise is a natural solution to regulations that surround this to be certified. combine to provide the pilot with avoidance meet the growing demand of our global I know lots of countries are watching us do advisories in the GCS, thereby giving pilots customers.” this, because they know that if we are able situational awareness across a similar field-of- GA-ASI will look to L3 WESCAM, based to meet the UK’s stringent regulations then it view as that of a manned aircraft. in Burlington, Ontario, to provide the EO/ will meet them anywhere else in the world,” “We are working with NASA and the IR sensor that will supply the classic video said Jones. FAA to validate the recently released Minimal footage relied upon by operators and According to Gp Capt Jones, the Operation Performance Specification for decision makers. Integrating WESCAM’s “sovereign capability” was also a key UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) flight in MX series EO/IR sensor also opens up global factor in the UK selecting PROTECTOR. the national airspace,” said Mahdion. “Our opportunities with other MQ-9B operators. He explained, “That will allow us to put system is being used to validate that, and we GA-ASI is also working closely with UK weapons onto the aircraft. At this anticipate that we’ll be the first to complete General Dynamics Mission Systems Canada. moment in time we’re planning on putting and certify our Detect and Avoid system with “We are integrating GD Canada’s leading on MBDA’s Brimstone which is a precision Due Regard Radar.” technologies to develop new mission guided low collateral missile which has The SkyGuardian’s wings have been capabilities not yet offered on any UAS,” said been very successful on other UK platforms. extended to 79 feet in order to accommodate Brookshire. We’re also looking at Raytheon’s Paveway additional fuel capacity and provide greater Canadian industry already holds a critical IV 500-pound class munition. Those are lift. This yields a flight endurance in excess position in the future of General Atomics’ the two main weapons, but the best thing of 40 hours. The wing extension also adds next generation of UAS. Pratt & Whitney about PROTECTOR is we’re looking to get two additional hardpoints for a total of nine Canada jet engines power GA-ASI’s Predator the architecture right, so we know that if external stations that can accommodate a C Avenger aircraft today, and could power we want to, we can integrate many types of maximum external payload of 4,000 pounds. their forthcoming solution for the U.S. Navy’s weapons onto that platform. We believe the “The new wing allows us to carry 6,000 carrier launched MQ-25 Stingray program design is right to be able to achieve that.” pounds of fuel,” said Mahdion. “We recently tomorrow. It’s clear that once certified, the Sky- completed an endurance test flight of our The launch customer for the SkyGuardian Guardian will become the gold-standard prototype MQ-9B aircraft in an optimized is the United Kingdom which refers to the for MALE RPAs. General Atomics has done ISR configuration [EO/IR sensor and radar] system as MQ-9B PROTECTOR. CDR spoke painstaking work here to allow it to run the where we achieved a 48.2 hour flight. We’re to Royal Air Force Group Captain Lyndon gauntlet of regulatory barriers with the ulti- now beginning to measure endurance not in Jones, Program Director – PROTECTOR about mate goal of achieving success in certification hours, but in days.” his country’s experience with SkyGuardian, which will allow the aircraft to safely operate The company is also working with some “We’re just about to enter 100,000 hours in the national airspace. The United Kingdom big names in Canadian aerospace, including of operation with the Reaper, so we have may be taking the lead as the launch cus- CAE, L3 WESCAM, GD Mission Systems lots of experience. We have been tasked tomer, but certainly Canada and Canadian and Pratt & Whitney Canada to deliver new with a follow-on deep and persistent ISTAR industry could benefit by adopting the and proven capabilities for GA-ASI’s entire [Information, Surveillance, Target Acquisition SkyGuardian for the JUSTAS project. customer base. Key among the company’s and Reconnaissance] capability for the future partners is CAE, who will provide in-service that looks to the mid-2030’s. So we’re Joetey Attariwala is CDR’s Senior Staff support and a comprehensive training looking for long range, persistent wide-area Writer and Aviation Editor solution for the JUSTAS Program. surveillance, and the same precision strike