The U.K. Ministry of Defence selected the General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) Certifiable Predator B (CPB) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system with modifications to fulfill the country’s future armed Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) requirements, the company said Monday.
The U.K. selected the CPB after the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review and the Prime Minister announced the government intended to replace the Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper. The CPB was downselected as the only viable option capable of meeting the U.K. program’s key user requirements, which include operations in controlled and uncontrolled airspace.
General Atomics is currently undertaking an Independent Research and Development (IRAD) effort to design, develop, and produce the CPB variant of the Predator B. This variant is planned to be fully compliant with the NATO UAV System Airworthiness Requirements (STANAG 4671).
The company has begun construction of the CPB, with the fuselage integration underway, with planned wings and tails integration to follow later this summer. CPB airframe flight testing is scheduled for late 2016.
“GA-ASI is proud to offer CPB, the next-generation Predator B, to the Ministry of Defence to satisfy its emerging requirements for a Reaper® replacement certified so that it will be capable, subject to developments in regulatory framework, to operate within unsegregated controlled airspace,” David R. Alexander, president of aircraft systems at GA-ASI, said in a statement.
The U.K. is procuring the CPB through a hybrid Foreign Military Sales (FMS)/Direct Commercial Sale (DCS) agreement with the U.S. government.