Military Matters: Drone tests advance at YPG

In Military Matters News, Yuma Proving Ground the Army’s elite testing facility has met yet another milestone with regards to their drone testing. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc has completed a 275 mile flight with their SkyGaurdian unmanned Aerial Vehicle. The Hour and forty five minute flight took the UAV to a variety of elements before it landed at the Gray Butte Flight Operations facility in Palmdale, California.

These milestone gets GA one step closer to becoming NATO certified which means it would be a new tool for military forces on the world stage. The SkyGuardian has seen serious modifications in order to complete the trek; including a shield covering sensitive components and anti-freeze defrosters on its wings. The next step for the SkyGuardian is to meed the Federal Aviation Administrations See and Avoid clause which calls on all aircrafts to be able to see other planes and avoid a mid-air collision. GA is working on a self guiding system similar to what self driving cars have, the drone would be able to avoid hitting another object without having to wait for a human response.