Predator XP/RQ-1E Part of “Live-Fly” Airshow at UMEX
The Predator XP/RQ-1E Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) flew above the tarmac of Al Ain Airport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of a “Live-Fly” event. The Live-Fly was held on February 27th and focused on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles that support the defense and security sectors. The event was a part of the Unmanned Systems Exhibition (UMEX) held in Abu Dhabi. UMEX attendees were given access to the Live-Fly as part of their registration.
“We’re very pleased the UAE Armed Forces decided to fly their RQ-1E at the show,” said David R. Alexander, president, Aircraft Systems, GA-ASI. “Our aircraft typically spend their time high in the sky providing Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance [ISR] information to government and military operators. So it’s great that the audience who came out to Al Ain were able to see RQ-1E aircraft perform.”
With an endurance that exceeds 35 consecutive hours and the ability to ascend up to 25,000 feet, Predator XP (known in the UAE as RQ-1E) is designed with state-of-the-art technologies including an automatic takeoff and landing capability, redundant flight control surfaces, enhanced avionics, triple-redundant flight control computers, high-definition Electro-optical Infrared (EO/IR) camera sensor, and a wide-area search radar system for both overland and maritime surveillance. The aircraft is also equipped with both Line-of-Sight (LOS) and Beyond Line-of-Sight (BLOS) data link systems for over-the-horizon operations.
