DEFENCE
SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian: The Next Generation of Remotely Piloted Aircraft The SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) possess a number of unique advantages not found in manned platforms. They have much longer endurance (40 hours or more based on payload), are more affordable, require a fraction of the footprint, effectively operate between low and high altitude (500 to 40,000 feet), are employable in high-risk environments without concern for loss of aircrew and, like manned platforms, they’re
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built to be certified to fly in civil airspace. These attributes, which have been exploited in over-land and largely permissible environments, are now being tested for high threat, multidomain missions, including maritime surveillance and undersea surveillance, as well as broad-spectrum, passive and active electronic warfare. These developments also network the RPA with other land, aerospace and maritime assets and enable role expansion, while highlighting the system as a true force multiplier.
In the New Zealand context, Sky/ SeaGuardian offers flexible and versatile capabilities to support whole-ofgovernment employment, with excellent potential to meet evolving military and civil Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) roles, including resource protection, support to security agencies, and responses to civil emergencies across New Zealand’s vast area of interest. No other single platform has the versatility, range and endurance to meet the broad requirements of the New Zealand Government.
Line of Defence
