GA-ASI Completes MQ-9B 'Flight Into Known Icing' Flight Tests
20.4.2026 15:00:00 CEST | ACCESS Newswire | Press release
Global RPA Leader Is Certifying MQ-9B for FIKI
SAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESS Newswire / April 20, 2026 / General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has conducted a series of flight tests aimed at certifying the MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) for Flight Into Known Icing (FIKI). The flight tests began last year, and all planned testing was successfully completed in early April from GA-ASI's Flight Test & Training Center (FTTC) near Grand Forks, North Dakota, using a company-owned MQ-9B.
The FIKI flights build on earlier successful flight tests to evaluate flight characteristics with simulated ice shapes adhered to the aircraft as well as the aircraft's successful Cold Weather Validation and flights in the Arctic. FIKI certification will expand MQ-9B's abilities to provide all-weather surveillance capabilities for the many nations that have purchased the system for their military and civil support missions.
The tests were flown using GA-ASI Internal Research and Development funding.
"We've approached these flight tests with great rigor," said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. "GA-ASI became the first RPA developer to receive a Military Type Certificate for MQ-9B (RAF Protector) last year, and now we're taking steps toward certifying the platform for FIKI. It's taking the resolve of GA-ASI to get this done for our user base."
GA-ASI customers are looking for MQ-9B to operate in a full range of environmental conditions, from very hot to very cold, as well as icy conditions. One such customer is the Government of Canada, which has ordered 11 MQ-9B SkyGuardians®. The Canadian Directorate of Technical Airworthiness and Engineering Support, Canada's national military certification authority, was on site for portions of the flight test period and will use artifacts from the flights to certify MQ-9B to operate in FIKI conditions.
The MQ-9B SkyGuardian and its maritime variant, SeaGuardian®, are multi-mission, multi-domain RPA that can operate in cold weather conditions. MQ-9B aircraft are being flown by the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force, Belgian Defence, and the Japan Coast Guard. In addition to Canada, MQ-9B has been selected by Denmark, Poland, Germany, Taiwan, India, and the U.S. Air Force in support of the Special Operations Command. MQ-9B has also been featured in various U.S. Navy exercises, including Northern Edge, Integrated Battle Problem, RIMPAC, and Group Sail.
About GA-ASI
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., is the world's foremost builder of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Logging more than 9 million flight hours, the Predator® line of UAS has flown for over 30 years and includes MQ-9A Reaper®, MQ-1C Gray Eagle®, MQ-20 Avenger®, and MQ-9B SkyGuardian®/SeaGuardian®. The company is dedicated to providing long-endurance, multi-mission solutions that deliver persistent situational awareness and rapid strike.
For more information, visit www.ga-asi.com.
Avenger, EagleEye, Gray Eagle, Lynx, Predator, Reaper, SeaGuardian, and SkyGuardian are trademarks of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., registered in the United States and/or other countries.
# # #
GA-ASI Media Relations
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
ASI-MediaRelations@ga-asi.com
(858) 524-8101
SOURCE: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
Subscribe to releases from ACCESS Newswire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from ACCESS Newswire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from ACCESS Newswire
Karbon-X and Evertrak Sign Letter of Intent to Advance Infrastructure-Linked Plastic Waste Reduction Credit Initiative19.5.2026 19:45:00 CEST | Press release
Proposed initiative would evaluate the potential generation of Verra-aligned Plastic Waste Reduction Credits for approximately 200,000 railroad ties made from recycled plastic currently installed across railroad infrastructure in North America. CALGARY, AB / ACCESS Newswire / May 19, 2026 / Karbon-X Corp. (OTCQB:KARX) ("Karbon-X" or the "Company"), a vertically integrated climate solutions company operating across compliance and voluntary environmental markets, today announced the signing of a Letter of Intent with Evertrak LLC ("Evertrak"), the leading manufacturer of Glass Fiber Reinforced Composite (GFRC) railroad ties made from recycled plastic, to explore an infrastructure-linked Plastic Waste Reduction Credit ("PWRC") initiative under Verra's Plastic Waste Reduction (PWR) Standard. Across North America, 20 million railroad ties made from wood are replaced annually. Approximately 4-6 million of those ties are less than 12 years old. Safe, resilient, and efficient railroad infrastr
AP Technologies Acquires Blueacre Technology, Adding Nitinol and Precision Laser Processing to Its Catheter Platform19.5.2026 16:00:00 CEST | Press release
Acquisition extends AP Technologies' vertically integrated catheter platform into nitinol and precision laser processing. Dundalk, Ireland joins the company's network of Centers of Excellence as its first European operation. SINGAPORE AND DUNDALK, IRELAND / ACCESS Newswire / May 19, 2026 / AP Technologies, a vertically integrated contract manufacturer of catheters and medical tubing, today announced the acquisition of Blueacre Technology, a Dundalk, Ireland specialist in laser micromachining and nitinol processing for the medical device industry. The acquisition establishes AP Technologies' first European operation in Ireland's medtech corridor, and extends its catheter platform into the laser-processed metallic components used in next-generation minimally invasive devices. Terms were not disclosed. Blueacre brings nearly two decades of capability in laser micromachining and nitinol processing for the medical device industry, including femtosecond and picosecond laser cutting, laser we
AI Trading Bots Revolutionise Stock, Gold, and Forex Trading: Funds Coin Leads the Move with Guaranteed Profit Option Strategy19.5.2026 14:00:00 CEST | Press release
DENVER, CO / ACCESS Newswire / May 19, 2026 / Forex has always been the world's largest digital financial market in 2026. Now it has become entirely a 24-hour, data-saturated environment. According to the Bank for International Settlements, global OTC foreign exchange turnover reached $9.6 trillion per day in April 2025. This means the foreign exchange turnover was up 28% from 2022. This is a figure that underscores just how deeply connected forex is to global liquidity, risk management, and capital flows. Inside that volume, the competition has intensified dramatically. In 2026, retail traders are no longer competing mainly against other individuals; they are competing against automated systems, and AI-assisted execution engines like Funds Coin. The platform operates across stocks, forex, and financial markets simultaneously. Manual trading, in this environment, is not just inefficient. It is structurally outpaced. Why AI Bots Are Taking Over Forex The following table is provided for
Northfield's Flagship Investment Juno Corp. Discovers Heavy Rare Earth Magnet Metals at Vespa19.5.2026 13:01:00 CEST | Press release
Broadens Juno's Polymetallic Critical Minerals System in Ontario's Ring of Fire TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / May 19, 2026 / Northfield Capital Corporation ("Northfield" or the "Company") (TSXV:NFD.A) is pleased to comment on the announcement made today by Juno Corp. ("Juno") regarding the discovery of heavy rare earth element ("HREE") mineralization, including the magnet metals neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium, within Juno's Vespa critical minerals system in Ontario's Ring of Fire (the "Juno Announcement"). For the full text of the Juno Announcement, including the technical disclosure relating to drill hole VES-26-025 and the associated assay results, please refer to Juno's press release dated May 19, 2026, available at www.junocorp.com. Northfield holds an approximately 35% equity interest in Juno, making Juno one of the most significant investments in Northfield's portfolio. The discovery disclosed in the Juno Announcement broadens the polymetallic critical minerals
Juno's Vespa Critical Minerals Discovery Expands to Include Heavy Rare Earth Magnet Metals19.5.2026 13:00:00 CEST | Press release
New Discovery Adds the Metals at the Centre of Global Supply Concerns TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / May 19, 2026 / Juno Corp. ("Juno" or the "Company") today announced the discovery of heavy rare earth elements - including the magnet metals essential to defence, aerospace, electric vehicles and clean energy - within its Vespa critical minerals system in Ontario's Ring of Fire. The discovery sits within the same geological system as Juno's previously announced high-grade iron, titanium, vanadium, scandium and gallium intercepts at Vespa, broadening the critical minerals discoveries. "Rare earth magnet metals are the materials that build modern defence systems, fighter jets, electric vehicles and clean energy infrastructure. Global supply is dominated by a single country that has shown its willingness to use export controls as a tool of geopolitical leverage - making secure, allied sources of these metals a national priority for Canada, the United States and our partners," said Robert
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom