Australia compra 12 SkyGuardians

Australia Confirmed to Buy 12 SkyGuardians

MQ-9B SkyGuardian drone (photo : General Atomics)

Defence will Buy Skyguardian Drones Despite Concerns

The Australian government has confirmed it will still buy 12 SkyGuardian drones, despite uncertainty over its capability over urban environments, writes Charbel Kadib.

The Department of Defence has confirmed it is developing options for up to 12 General Atomics MQ-9B (SkyGuardian) aircraft to present for second pass government approval in 2022, as part of Project AIR 7003, a $1.3 billion program to deliver an armed remotely piloted aircraft system to the ADF.

This comes despite General Atomics’ failure to demonstrate the aircraft’s capability in urban environments, with the manufacturer forced to cancel a test flight in San Diego earlier this year in response to community pushback.

Last month, US regulators confirmed that General Atomics would need to reapply for permission to conduct test flights over densely populated urban environments in light of safety concerns.

However, a spokesperson from the Department of Defence has said the decision to purchase SkyGuardian would not be affected by the current domestic air space restriction in the US.

According to Defence, worries over regulatory compliance, aviation safety and airworthiness would be addressed “well ahead of achieving initial operating capability”, currently scheduled for the “mid-2020s”.

“The variant of SkyGuardian that Defence is purchasing will be certified to similar standards as manned aircraft. This is to ensure the safety of people on the ground and other airspace users,” the spokesperson told Defence Connect.


Australian Aviation