GA-ASI Moves MQ-9 Sustainment Operations to Europe

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) opened a new customer service center in Dresden, Germany on October 5, 2020.

The center provides sustainment capabilities for MQ-9 fleets in and near Europe, providing customer convenience and expanding opportunities for European aerospace suppliers, the company announced today.

The service center is a key part of General Atomics’ European Regional Sustainment Network (ERSN). The ERSN leverages the European supply base and creates new repair capabilities that will reduce repair “turn-around-time” and the cost of MQ-9 support.

Visit: SAHA EXPO, TURKEY -VIRTUAL AEROSPACE & DEFENCE EXHIBITION

As of October 16, GA-ASI customers will have batteries repaired regionally by MADES, located in Malaga, Spain. “MADES is very proud to become the first MQ-9 component repair center outside of the United States,” said Jean Franco Montalvan, MADES Managing Director. “MADES has demonstrated the level of capability and performance that a company like GA-ASI requires from an international partner. It opens up new avenues of collaboration between the two companies that we trust will materialize in the coming years.”

In addition, Belgium’s SABCA was selected to provide depot maintenance services for electromechanical actuators used on MQ-9.

ERSN embodies GA’s goal of pursuing industry partnerships with European companies, which has continued for more than a decade. GA-ASI engages with industry across Europe on projects for manufacturing, operations and maintenance, research and development, engineering services, and payload development, the company said. The new MQ-9B SkyGuardian RPAS incorporates components and technologies from partners across Europe. Major subsystems produced in Europe include: GKN Aerospace’s diagonal stabilizers produced in the United Kingdom and landing gear from The Netherlands; SATCOM-radomes from SABCA in Belgium; payload enclosure systems (such as the NATO Pod) from SENER Aeroespacial in Spain; radar and Electronic Surveillance Measure (ESM) systems from Leonardo in the UK; Aircraft Survivability and Electronic Warfare management systems from TERMA in Denmark; and sonobuoy dispenser systems from AEREA in Italy.