Aerospace Group:

Satcom, Laptop-Controlled MQ-9B Mission Completed in GA-ASI Demonstration

Nick Zazulia

Tuesday, February 26th, 2019

SHARE:

Satcom, Laptop-Controlled MQ-9B Mission Completed in GA-ASI Demonstration

GA-ASI's XC2 ruggedized portable laptop. (GA-ASI)

The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) MQ-9B SkyGuardian completed a demonstration sortie without the use of an on-site ground control station (GCS) this month, relying on only satcom and the company's expeditionary command-and-control (XC2) portable laptop. One of the MQ-9B's selling points is the ability to cut down on footprint by launching without an on-site GCS, which is what GA-ASI demonstrated on Feb. 15. The company used its XC2 portable laptop to complete preflight checks. XC2 is part of GA-ASI's…

Congress

Pentagon Fiscal 2027 Budget To Address Cannibalization Of Parts For F-35, Legislator Says

The Pentagon’s upcoming fiscal 2027 budget request will help reduce the cannibalization of parts for the F-35 fighter by Lockheed Martin [LMT], the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s […]

Budget

Trump’s $1.15 Trillion Request For DoD Is The ‘New Normal,” HASC Chairman Says

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—The Trump administration’s nearly $1.2 trillion baseline defense budget request for fiscal year 2027 will be adopted and will be the foundation for the “new normal” going forward, […]

Congress

Trump Wants Second Reconciliation Bill On His Desk By June 1

President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Congress to pass and send a second reconciliation bill to his desk by June 1. The deadline follows congressional Republicans’ backing a pursuit […]

Space

Upgrading Current GPS Ground System “Now a Viable Option,” As GPS OCX Problems Continue, Space Official Says

Upgrades to the GPS ground system–the Architecture Evolution Plan (AEP)–is an option under consideration by the Defense Department’s space acquisition chief, as problems continue in fielding the GPS Next Generation […]