Sat, Jun 14, 2008
Block 0 Aircraft Put Into Service
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) announced
Thursday two Sky Warrior Block 0 unmanned aerial vehicles are now
operational in Iraq, supporting US Army ground forces in Operation
Iraqi Freedom (OIF). The first mission for WY-201 occurred on April
18 and lasted 10.5 hours. A second Sky Warrior UAS, WY-202, was
deployed at the end of April.
"The deployment of Sky Warrior Block 0 aircraft more than a year
in advance of SDD [Systems Development and Demonstration]
deployment requirements for the Army’s ER/MP [Extended
Range/Multi-Purpose] UAS Program is a testament to the creative
solutions that can be achieved with increased cooperation between
government and industry," said Thomas J. Cassidy, Jr., president,
Aircraft Systems Group, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
"Sky Warrior is designed to be the Army’s most sophisticated
and capable UAS. We are confident that this early fielding will not
only showcase the maturity of the technology being incorporated
into this new aircraft line, but also its ability to be a true
force multiplier to soldiers in the field."
Sky Warrior Block 0 is a quick reaction program designed to meet
the Army’s urgent operational needs in the Global War on
Terrorism (GWOT) and offers significant risk reduction for the Sky
Warrior Block 1 UAS developed for the ER/MP program. As a precursor
to the Block 1 aircraft, Block 0 features the same advanced
airframe design, diesel engine, and highly redundant avionics as
Block 1. Fielding of the Block 0 variant will support the
development phase of SDD, with operational data collected in combat
expected to help facilitate the ER/MP Milestone C decision (re:
Limited Rate Initial Production) scheduled to be made this
summer.
In an effort to ensure readiness for extended flight operations
in Iraq, a Sky Warrior Block 0 aircraft completed its first
endurance flight in early April at China Lake, CA. The aircraft
achieved all stated objectives for the 26.5-hour flight, and fuel
endurance calculations were better than expected.
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