General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.

PARIS – 15 June 2019 – Three finalists have been selected from GA-ASI’s Blue Magic Belgium event with the goal of supporting GA-ASI and the development of MQ-9B SkyGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) for Belgium. The three Belgian companies selected are AIRobot, ALX Systems, and Hexagon.

AIRobot, a company based at DronePort in Sint Truiden, Belgium focuses on developing drone performance equipment for easy, precise and safe professional operations, while specializing in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for processing hyper-spectral imagery. ALX Systems is an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) solution provider based in Liège, Belgium and specializing in AI for processing Full Motion Video. Hexagon’s Geospatial division, with an office in Leuven, Belgium, specializes in software solutions and geospatial tools for visualizing location intelligence, such as auto-routing UAS and creating a smart digital reality.

GA-ASI held outreach events in Belgium May 15-16 with the goal of identifying small to medium-sized Belgian companies that can support SkyGuardian development through cutting-edge technologies. This followed the Government of Belgium’s approval for Belgian Defense to negotiate acquisition of GA-ASI’s SkyGuardian to meet the nation’s RPA requirements.

“We were very impressed by the many talented companies and particularly by the innovative concepts presented by these three finalists,” said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI.

Blue Magic Belgium was a Research and Development (R&D) event held in two regions of Belgium. Approximately 50 related companies registered for the event and 19 companies were selected to present their innovative technologies to a technical panel of experts from GA-ASI. GA-ASI is committed to placing $3 million in R&D funding with Belgium industry. This investment will focus on high-value technological development with small to medium-sized enterprises. The seed funds will be utilized to develop Belgian capabilities that meet Ministry of Defense (MOD) and industry objectives to be competitive in future European RPA programs.

About GA-ASI

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a leading designer and manufacturer of proven, reliable Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems, including the Predator^® RPA series and the Lynx^® Multi-mode Radar. With more than five million flight hours, GA-ASI provides long-endurance, mission-capable aircraft with integrated sensor and data link systems required to deliver persistent flight that enables situational awareness and rapid strike. The company also produces a variety of ground control stations and sensor control/image analysis software, offers pilot training and support services, and develops meta-material antennas. For more information, visit www.ga-asi.com.

Predator and Lynx are registered trademarks of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.

For more information contact:

GA-ASI Media Relation
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
+1 (858) 524-8108
ASI-MediaRelations@ga-asi.com