General Atomics Awarded New DHS/CBP Contract

Published: Tue Oct 10th, 2006
Source: www.uav.com

SAN DIEGO - 9 October 2006 - General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), a leading manufacturer of unmanned aircraft and high-resolution surveillance and radar imaging systems, today announced that it has received a $33.9 million contract from the U.S.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Air and Marine, to provide two additional unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Scheduled to be delivered in fall 2007, each system will comprise a Predator® B aircraft equipped with an EO/IR camera system, Lynx® SAR/GMTI, ground control station, support equipment and logistics support.

“This latest order from Customs and Border Protection is a testament to Predator B’s ability to fulfill the nation’s need for increased surveillance of its borders,” said Thomas J. Cassidy, Jr., president, Aircraft Systems Group, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. “The partnership between GA-ASI and DHS/CBP has served as a force multiplier to the existing southwest border domain awareness capability, providing a dramatic increase in the ability of CBP to monitor our borders.”

GA-ASI’s relationship with DHS began in November 2003 with a test mission along the U.S. southwest border utilizing a Predator B UAS. In August 2005, GA-ASI was awarded the first UAS procurement contract from DHS/CBP in support of a homeland security mission and delivered the aircraft only 27 days after contract award. Over the course of a recent seven-month operation along the southwest border, CBP’s first Predator B accumulated nearly 1,000 flight hours and was used to detect, track and document illegal crossings, drug trafficking and potential terrorist activity, as well as to coordinate apprehensions. A second Predator B aircraft was delivered to CBP the end of September and will begin operations by month’s end.

Predator B is currently operational with the U.S. Air Force and has been acquired by the U.S. Navy and NASA.
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General Atomics Awarded New DHS/CBP Contract

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