Company Receives Awards for Outstanding Achievement by an Aerospace Organization, Outstanding Contributions to Aerospace Management and the AIAA San Diego Section
SAN DIEGO – 30 June 2016 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), a leading manufacturer of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems solutions, today announced that it recently has been honored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) with local awards for outstanding aerospace contributions and achievements. The San Diego Section is dedicated to promoting awareness, activism, and access throughout the aerospace community.
In the category of Outstanding Achievement by an Aerospace Organization, GA-ASI was recognized for the development of its Due Regard Radar (DRR), an air-to-air radar produced under company funding to enable RPA systems to fly safely in domestic and international airspace. The award is presented to companies that have advanced the state-of-the-art of aerospace engineering or have utilized significant technical and/or managerial innovations in a project that has resulted in exceptional accomplishments.
DRR has become a critical component of GA-ASI's airborne Detect and Avoid (DAA) architecture for its Predator® B RPA. The company is partnered with the FAA, NASA, and several industry partners to mature a DAA capability onboard NASA's Ikhana RPA. DRR will be used to track cooperative as well as non-cooperative aircraft.
"GA-ASI is honored to receive this award, which is a testament to our DRR team members who have worked tirelessly since the program began in 2011 to mature this capability," said Claudio Pereida, executive vice president, Mission Systems, GA-ASI.
In the category of Outstanding Contribution to Aerospace Engineering, GA-ASI's Aircraft Systems Technical Director of Advanced Programs, Mike Atwood, was recognized for his achievements which have proved instrumental in advancing the company's aircraft design and development. The award is presented to candidates who have made significant contributions to the technical direction of engineering projects, developing new products, obtaining patents, pioneering new technologies and conducting fundamental research.
"Mike Atwood is an invaluable and highly innovative developer of next-generation advanced technologies and is a key player in GA-ASI's overall success," said David R. Alexander, president, Aircraft Systems, GA-ASI.
Mr. Atwood and his team are currently developing the next generation of airborne recoverable Small Unmanned Air Systems (SUAS) to leverage distributed swarm technologies. He previously was responsible for designing low observable aircraft in support of the U.S. Navy's Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program.
Lastly, in the category of Outstanding Corporate Contribution to the AIAA San Diego Section, the General Atomics Sciences Education Foundation was recognized for awarding AIAA a generous grant in support of its active program to enhance young peoples' experiences with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).
High-resolution photos of the Due Regard Rader are available to qualified media outlets from the GA-ASI media contact listed below.
About GA-ASI
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., an affiliate of General Atomics, delivers situational awareness by providing remotely piloted aircraft systems, radar, and electro-optic and related mission systems solutions for military and commercial applications worldwide. The company's Aircraft Systems business unit is a leading designer and manufacturer of proven, reliable RPA systems, including Predator A, Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper®, Gray Eagle, the new Predator C Avenger®, and Predator XP. It also manufactures a variety of state-of-the-art digital Ground Control Stations (GCS), including the next-generation Advanced Cockpit GCS, and provides pilot training and support services for RPA field operations. The Mission Systems business unit designs, manufactures, and integrates the Lynx® Multi-mode Radar and sophisticated Claw® sensor control and image analysis software into both manned and remotely piloted aircraft. It also focuses on providing integrated sensor payloads and software for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft platforms and develops high energy lasers, electro-optic sensors, and meta-material antennas. For more information, please visit www.ga-asi.com.
Predator, Reaper, Avenger, Lynx, and Claw are registered trademarks of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
For more information contact:
Kimberly Kasitz
Public Relations Manager
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
+1.858.312.2294
kimberly.kasitz@ga-asi.com