General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) has announced the completion of the first production-representative MQ-9B SkyGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA).

The aircraft completed its first flight on March 30 at GA-ASI’s Flight Operations Facility in El Mirage, California.

“With first flight of the production-representative aircraft, we remain on schedule for delivering MQ-9B Protector to the RAF,” says Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI.

Protector RG Mk1 is being acquired for the UK Royal Air Force’s configuration of SkyGuardian.

“Protector revolutionizes the long-endurance RPA market by providing true all-weather capability, and NATO-standard Type-Certification to enable flexible operations in civil airspace,” adds Blue. 

Known within GA-ASI as BC03, the new SkyGuardian is a company aircraft being used for ground and flight testing to collect airworthiness certification data starting with flight loads and aircraft performance testing. The results from the tests will form the Type Certification Exposition needed to achieve the Military Type Certificate for the Protector platform.

“As the lead customer, we are tracking all of the important developments of this ground-breaking, remotely-piloted aircraft,” says RAF Group Captain Shaun Gee, Protector RG Mk1 Program Director.

“The Military Type Certificate is a particularly important milestone because it’s a foundational step towards the Protector RPA being approved to fly in unsegregated airspace.”

Capable of completing various types of missions, MQ-9B is built for all-weather performance with lightning protection, damage tolerance, and a de-icing system. GA-ASI notes that both the SkyGuardian and the maritime SeaGuardian are equipped with a GA-ASI-developed Detect and Avoid System (DAAS).

GA-ASI President David R. Alexander says that the BC03 will be followed by BC04, which is also known as UK1. BC04 will be the first Protector aircraft delivered to the RAF.

“Production has already begun on BC04 and prior to delivery, it will be used for Combined System Test and weapons testing,” Alexander says.

Under Project Air 7003, MQ-9B has been selected by the Australian Government for the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The Government of Belgium has also approved Belgian Defense to negotiate the acquisition of GA-ASI’s MQ-9B.