General Atomics has successfully completed the first flight of export licensed Predator XP unmanned aerial vehicle.
General Atomics has successfully completed the first flight of export licensed Predator XP unmanned aerial vehicle.
The flight was conducted on June 27 at Castle Dome Airfield, located at the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Ground Range Complex in Arizona.
The system is derived from the MQ-1 Predator A, with the major difference being unarmed.
The maiden flight lasted 35-minute and demonstrated its ability to launch, climb to operational altitude, complete basic airworthiness maneuvers, and landed back flawlessly.
U.S. Government has approved XP's sale to a broader customer base, including countries in the Middle East, North Africa, South America, and Asia.
XP has the same Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities as of MQ-1A and exhibits the same physical dimensions, altitude, speed, and long endurance.
Predator XP also features a 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-optical video, an improved Claw® sensor control and image analysis software system, an Automatic Identification System (AIS) for maritime vessel monitoring and tracking, and a more efficient propulsion system.
Predator XP can continously fly up to 35 hours, and can reach a maximum altitude of 25,000ft (7,620m).
United Arab Emirates has signed a $197 million deal in 2013, to purchase the Predator XP, becoming the first non-NATO customer.
