GA-ASI's Predator UAS Series Achieves 300,000 Flight Hours

Combat-Proven Aircraft Family Currently Amassing Over 8,000 Hours Per Month

(Paris, June 20, 2007) -- General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI), a leading manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical reconnaissance radars, today announced that its Predator(r) UAS series has passed the milestone of 300,000 flight hours, with over 80-percent of that time spent in combat. The milestone was achieved by P-135 on June 15 while it performed an armed reconnaissance mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. This particular aircraft has flown over 125 combat missions in just the one year it has been deployed.


Predator series aircraft have flown an average of 8,200 hours per month over the past six months while maintaining the highest operational readiness rates in the U.S. military aircraft inventory. Over the past five-and-a-half years, monthly flight hours have increased 93-percent, growing from approximately 800 hours per month since 9/11 to over 11,000 hours last month.

"Now with an experience base of more than 300,000 flight hours, no other UAS manufacturer can match the combat-proven, unparalleled performance and exceptional reliability of the Predator family," said Thomas J. Cassidy, Jr., president, Aircraft Systems Group, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. "Providing essential situational awareness to the warfighter, these long-endurance aircraft systems provide continuous intelligence while engaged in such missions as surveillance, armed reconnaissance, targeting, forward air control, laser designation, weapons delivery, and bomb damage assessment."

Source : General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.