General Atomics Aeronautical Systems

The software and hardware that will control tomorrow's combat drones got a workout on January 18, as a General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger showed off its capability by autonomously intercepting a crewed aggressor aircraft in an air combat exercise.

You can't even hide from drones under the sea now, with General Atomics flight-testing its MQ-9B SeaGuardian maritime patrol craft. It was trying out the new Expanded Sonobuoy Dispensing System (ESDS) for hunting submarines where they hide.

General Atomics has rolled out the latest iteration of its modular Gambit series of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), adapting the common-core airframe for air-to-ground missions while retaining its autonomous core capabilities.

One of the US Air Force's first official combat drones has taken to the air after only a year of building and development. General Atomics's YFQ-42A is currently undergoing flight testing in anticipation of a future fleet of 1,000 autonomous planes

Air and space were linked together in a recent flight test by General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) and Kepler Communications where a laser system was used to communicate between a standard aircraft and a low-Earth orbit satellite.

The age of the piloted fighter aircraft may not be over but the US Air Force has shown that it may be time to start collecting the coats, as it has designated two prototype combat drones as official combat aircraft.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) has successfully tested the nuclear fuel that may one day propel and power the spacecraft of the future. The trials verify that the fuel can survive the harsh environment of a nuclear rocket reactor.

Giving a preview of the future of military aircraft, General Atomics unveiled a full-scale mock-up of its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), which is an autonomous warplane designed to augment air forces with cheaper, expendable robotic fighters.

A new report has assessed the feasibility of deploying small modular nuclear reactors to meet increasing energy demands around the world. The findings don't look so good for this particular form of energy production.

The US Air Force's XQ-67A Loyal Wingman combat drone has taken to the air for the first time. Built by General Atomics using automotive design techniques, it promises to be a cheaper, more flexible alternative to other UAVs.

Using off-the-shelf industrial parts, a team of researchers from the public and private sectors has created a prototype of a small particle accelerator that could have a big impact bringing the technology forward for commercial applications.

DARPA and General Atomics are readying their fighter-launched LongShot missile-firing drone for flight testing. The aircraft is part of an effort to haul 4th-generation fighter planes into the 21st-century aerial battlefield.