Predator XP is the latest in a long line of GA-ASI Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) systems that carries the Predator name, beginning with the highly successful “RQ-1” Predator aircraft first flown by the U.S. Air Force in 1995. Predator XP is being produced by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) to provide air forces with increased surveillance capabilities. Predator since has been named by Smithsonian’s Air & Space magazine as one of the top ten aircraft that changed the world. Offering unprecedented reliability, the aircraft has the highest operational readiness rate in the U.S. Air Force and also is operational with the U.S. Government, Italian Air Force, and other international customers worldwide.
Predator XP is an updated version of the flagship Predator RPA that has been licensed by the U.S. Government for sale to a broader customer base, including the Middle East, North African, and South American regions. The Predator XP RPA has a maximum air speed of 120kts and can fly to a maximum altitude of 25,000ft. It can remain airborne for up to 35 hours when flying at a height of 10,000ft above mean sea level. The aircraft has been updated with state-of-the-art technologies, including an automatic takeoff and landing capability, redundant flight control surfaces, enhanced avionics, and triple-redundant flight control computers. Predator XP is equipped with both Line-of-Sight (LOS) and Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLOS) data link systems for over-the-horizon operations.
Additionally, it may be integrated with multiple ISR sensors, including state-of-the-art Electro-optical Infrared (EO/IR) cameras and GA-ASI’s Lynx® Multi-mode Radar which features a state-of-the-art Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) mode that offers all-weather, day/night performance for a wide-area search capability. Its Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) mode provides a quick and easy method for locating moving vehicles. The radar’s new Maritime Wide Area Search (MWAS) mode provides the capability to complete a variety of maritime missions successfully, including coastal surveillance, drug interdiction, long-range surveillance, small target detection, and search and rescue operations. Predator XP also is equipped with an Automatic Identification System (AIS) for identifying vessels at sea.
Predator XP features an automatic takeoff and landing system (ATLS) that allows the aircraft to be launched and recovered without any operator interaction. Its ATLS is based upon GA-ASI’s Gray Eagle ATLS which has conducted tens of thousands of takeoffs and landings successfully. GA-ASI’s Claw® integrated sensor payload control and analysis software is available with Predator XP. Claw features moving-map displays, enables cross-cueing of all onboard sensors, pre-mission planning, and post-mission sensor data analysis and exploitation.Offering unsurpassed ISR capabilities, Predator XP is available now to support a variety of overland and maritime Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions worldwide.
