Australia – Mq-9b Remotely Piloted Aircraft X 12

[SpazSinbad]

Australia – MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft 23 Apr 2021

https://www.dsca.mil/press-media/major-arms...iloted-aircraft 22 Apr 2021 USN app: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/04...argets-sea.html

"WASHINGTON, April 23, 2021 - The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Australia of MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $1.651 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.

The Government of Australia has requested to buy up to twelve (12) Weapons-Ready MQ-9B, Remotely Piloted Aircraft; fifteen (15) Raytheon Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems-D (MTS-D) EO/IR sensors; sixteen (16) Lynx AN/APY-8 Synthetic Aperture Radars (SAR) with Ground Moving Target Indicator (GTMI); fifteen (15) RIOTM Communication Intelligence Systems; thirty-six (36) Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigations Systems (EGI) with Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Modules (SAASMs); six (6) KMU-572 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) tail kits for 500lb bombs; four (4) MXU-650 Airfoil Groups for 500lb Paveway II GBU-12; seven (7) MXU-1006 Airfoil Groups for 250lb Paveway II GBU-58; four (4) MAU-169 or MAU-209 Computer Control Groups (CCGs) for 250lb/500lb Paveway II GBU-58/GBU-12; six (6) FMU-139 Fuse Systems; twelve (12) MK-82 General Purpose 500lb inert bombs; five (5) High Bandwidth Compact Telemetry Modules (HCTMs). Also included are Honeywell aircraft engines; Certifiable Ground Control Stations (CGCSs); mobile Satellite Communication Ground Data Terminals (SGDTs); Leonardo SAGE 750 Electronic Surveillance Measures System (ESM); GATES/RSO/GRMA; Automatic Information System (AIS); ARC-210 radios; AN/DPX-7 IFF transponders; General Dynamics Satellite Communication (SATCOM) antennas and Hughes modems with USG encryption; Leonardo/Selex SeaSpray 7500 maritime radars; KY-100M security voice terminals; KIV-77 Mode 4/5 IFF cryptographic appliques; AN/PYQ-10C Simple Key Loaders; U.S. Government Certified Encryption Solution; KOR-24A Small Tactical Terminal Link-16; Sierra Nevada Electronic Intelligence System; additional secure communications and cryptographic equipment; MQ-9B training simulator; Hellfire Training Missiles, missile rail kits and integration; M-299 Hellfire Rail Launchers; DSU-38 Laser Illuminated Target Detector for GBU-54; MK-81 General Purpose Bombs 250lb Inert Bombs; aircraft and weapons integration, test, and test equipment; additional ground support and test equipment; initial spare repair parts; repair & return; publications and technical documentation; personnel training and training equipment; U.S. Government and contractor engineering; technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistical and program support. The overall total estimated value is $1.651 billion...."

Photo: http://alert5.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/137783.jpg (1Mb) "An MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle comes in for a landing at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, Nov. 20. Reapers are remotely piloted and can linger over battlefields, providing persistent strike capabilities to ground force commanders. This Reaper is deployed to the 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance and Attack Squadron from Creech Air Force Base, Nev."

This post has been edited by SpazSinbad on Apr 25 2021, 10:53 PM

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[SpazSinbad]

USN app: https://images01.military.com/sites/default...ardian-1800.jpg

MQ-9B SkyGuardian® / SeaGuardian VIDEO: https://vimeo.com/373262912
https://www.ga-asi.com/remotely-piloted-aircraft/mq-9b

This post has been edited by SpazSinbad on Apr 28 2021, 01:55 AM

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[SpazSinbad]

Australian MQ-9Bs to be equipped to SeaGuardian standard 27 Apr 2021 Gareth Jennings

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-det...ardian-standard

"The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc’s (GA-ASI’s) MQ-9B unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been approved for sale to Australia and will be delivered in the SeaGuardian maritime configuration, according to the sale notification, which was posted on 23 April.

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency’s (DSCA’s) approval of the sale included the Leonardo Seaspray 7500E V2 active electronically scanned array (AESA) over-water radar and Automatic Information System (AIS) for surface vessel identification that feature on the SeaGuardian. Australia had earlier been linked to a sale of the SkyGuardian variant of the MQ-9, which focussed on the overland mission.

“The proposed sale improves Australia’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing timely intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), target acquisition, locate submarine capabilities, and counter-land and counter-surface sea capabilities for its security and defence,” the DSCA said, highlighting the platform’s proposed maritime role.

Besides the specific maritime equipment, the 12 approved MQ-9Bs will be fitted with the sensors and systems that are common to both the SeaGuardian and SkyGuardian, including Wescam MX-20 electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) sensors and Leonardo SAGE 750 electronic surveillance measures (ESM) systems. As noted by GA-ASI earlier, the MQ-9B’s sensor suite, augmented by automatic track correlation and anomaly-detection algorithms, enables real-time detection and identification of surface vessels over thousands of square nautical miles."

Photo: "The Leonardo Seaspray maritime search and track AESA radar, one of the primary sensors that differentiates the SeaGuardian from the SkyGuardian, is housed in the aircraft’s centreline pod. (GA-ASI)"

This post has been edited by SpazSinbad on Apr 28 2021, 02:03 AM

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[SpazSinbad]

Video: MQ-9B SeaGuardian Deploys ASW Sonobuoy for the First Time
Xavier Vavasseur 28 Apr 2021

"General Atomics released a video showing its MQ-9B SeaGuardian deploying a sonobuoy for the first time, marking a first for a fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The company said this will revolutionize anti-submarine warfare (ASW).

General Atomics first announced the milestone in a January 2021 press release, while the demonstration test actually took place on 24 November 2020. But the company just released the video.

GA-ASI first demonstrated a sonobuoy remote processing capability in 2017 from an MQ-9A. Since then, GA-ASI has added a Sonobuoy Management & Control System (SMCS) to monitor and control deployed sonobuoys, and developed a pneumatic sonobuoy dispenser system (SDS) capable of safely carrying and deploying 10 U.S. Navy compliant ‘A’ size or 20 ‘G’ size sonobuoys per pod. The MQ-9B SeaGuardian has four wing stations available to carry up to four (4) SDS pods, allowing it to carry and dispense up to 40 ‘A’ size or 80 ‘G’ size sonobuoys, and remotely perform ASW anywhere in the world.

No information has been released about the sonobuoy pod, but it likely comes from L3Harris, which has been working on such as pod for a number of years now. Building on its single-launch and rotary multi-launch systems for the P-8A Poseidon, L3Harris developed a sonobuoy pod specifically for UAVs."

VIDEO: https://vimeo.com/video/541874479

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/0...the-first-time/

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[SpazSinbad]

Screenshot from VIMEO VIDEO above: https://vimeo.com/video/541874479

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[SpazSinbad]

JANES is often very BADLY RONG - sad but true. Official US Gubmint OK. :-)

[SpazSinbad]

FWIW this is quote from attached PDF from ADM Australian Defence Magazine 29 Apr 2021 about the SkyGuardian MQ-9B for Oz:

"...the DSCA announcement confirms that Australia will follow the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) path for the project and, in the equipment included under the deal, is a maritime active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, together with Automatic Identification System (AIS) system, pointing to an enhanced maritime ISR role for Australia’s SkyGuardians. The RAAF MQ-9Bs will be delivered with Leonardo’s 7500E V2 multi-mode maritime radar, carried in a pod on the centreline station. Other major equipment included in the deal includes 15 Raytheon AN/DAS-4 Multi- Spectral Targeting Systems (MST-D) electro-optic infra-red (EO/IR) sensors, 16 GA-ASI AN/APY-8 Lynx Synthetic Aperture Radars with Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) capability, 15 Rio Communications intelligence (COMINT) systems, 36 Embedded GPS/INS (EGI) systems with Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Modules (SAASM) and Leonardo’s SAGE electronic support measures (ESM) systems....

...GA-ASI had previously announced in January that it was working with Leonardo to integrate the Seaspray radar onto the MQ-9B SeaGuardian variant, to offer a persistent maritime ISR capability to its international customers.

“The Seaspray 7500 V2 radar is well-suited to the SeaGuardian mission set, using AESA technology to detect, track, and classify hundreds of maritime contacts. The integration will also include an Open Mission System (OMS) approach, which enables the SeaGuardian and its sensor suite to offer operational and sustainment flexibility to end users,” GA-ASI said in a statement at the time.

“Numerous countries use Seaspray E-scan radars and the company has utilised operational feedback from these customers to expand and optimise the radar’s suite of advanced modes. These include Leonardo’s patented small target detection capability, allowing it to spot extremely difficult targets such as submarine periscopes and shipwrecked individuals at long range, even in very stormy seas.”

The United Arab Emirates has also selected the Seaspray radar for its MQ-9Bs and in February, GA-ASI announced that it will demonstrate the capability, fitted to a company-owned SkyGuardian, to the Royal Air Force and NATO customers in the UK in July, culminating in its participation in the UK-led Joint Warrior exercise. GA-ASI was announced as the preferred solution for Air 7003 Phase 1 in November 2018 and the selection of the MQ-9B variant was confirmed in November 2019. If Gate 2 Approval occurs in Mid-2022 as expected, deliveries to Australia are anticipated in the 2023/2024 timeframe with Initial Operational Capability (IOC) to follow 12 months later."

This post has been edited by SpazSinbad on Apr 29 2021, 11:45 PM

Attached File ( Number of downloads: 48 )
 MQ_9B_SkyGuardian_29_Apr_2021_ISSUE_632_pp2.pdf

[SpazSinbad]

What version of Adobe Acrobat Reader do you have? The latest version will always be found here:

https://get.adobe.com/reader/ [177 Mb Adobe Acrobat Reader DC LINK right side top]

UNCHECK the UNneeded tick boxes for stuff on left side of the page. IF you have a version of READER DC you may have to UPDATE IT which is less download intensive.

IF this fails to work then the problem lies with this website? I can REPRINT (PRN) the page which MAY help (attached). We have been down this road before on this website with PDFs SADLY. I DUNNO.

& ANUVVER FING! Always DOWNLOAD any PDF BEFORE opening it with Adobe Acrobat Reader DC.

OPENING a PDF with a browser is FRAUGHT. Browsers claim lots of things but compatability with a PDF theys AIN'T!

This post has been edited by SpazSinbad on Apr 30 2021, 08:26 AM

Attached File ( Number of downloads: 64 )
 MQ_9B_SkyGuardian_29_Apr_2021_ISSUE_632_PRN_pp2.pdf

[SpazSinbad]

Wot USAF dun duz: https://www.google.com/search?q=us+air+forc...f=1619769286821 [us air force drone pilot wings]

[SpazSinbad]

I'll leave you to GOOGLE the stress that can be encountered 'flying' these UAVS. Pilot leaves container to go home to family (unlike a squadron in a war-zone far far away) - repeat - no time to de-stress.