Disappointed With Australia’s Cancellation of Project Air 7003: General Atomics

General Atomics Aeronautics Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) called Australia’s decision to scrap Project Air 7003 aimed to provide an armed, medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) system, “disappointing.”

“The Australian Department of Defence has advised of its decision to cancel Project Air 7003, after nearly a decade of efforts toward that acquisition program…. The cancellation is disappointing for a number of reasons. Project Air 7003 offered a cost-effective, multi-domain capability that is deeply relevant to Australia’s future strategic environment. Equally disappointing, our many Team SkyGuardian Australia partner companies have invested in the start-up and future support for this capability in Australia and will lose considerable sovereign capability opportunities following this decision,” David R. Alexander, President of GA-ASI, said in a statement today.

The MALE RPA would have provided airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, Electronic Warfare and precision strike capability for both land and maritime environments.

Australia intended to buy up to 12 MQ-9B aircraft. Initial Operating Capability for the MQ-9B SkyGuardian was planned for mid-2020s.