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OTTAWA, Ontario–(BUSINESS WIRE)–As members of Team SkyGuardian Canada and supporters of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) for Canada’s RPAS Project, L3 WESCAM and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) are integrating WESCAM’s MX™-20 electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) imaging system onto the SkyGuardian RPAS, as well as the MQ-9 Reaper that is currently being operated by several NATO countries. Team SkyGuardian Canada is a coalition of Canadian companies committed to delivering the best RPAS for Canada.

Field-proven, with extensive deployment, WESCAM’s MX-20 is equipped with high-sensitivity multi-spectral sensors for day, low-light and nighttime missions, and offers low-risk “plug-and-play” installation. The MX-20 operates with detection and recognition capabilities at high altitudes in support of persistent surveillance missions.

“Integrating capabilities from L3 WESCAM and our other Team SkyGuardian partners – CAE and MDA – provides the most capable RPAS solution and the best economic value for Canada,” said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI. “The MX-20 integration on MQ-9 builds on our successful integration of the WESCAM MX-15 onto our Predator XP aircraft. Taking advantage of our close North American relationship, our companies can cooperate to provide unprecedented levels of innovation and business opportunity with our RPAS.”

GA-ASI has been proactive in integrating L3 WESCAM products onto their RPAS. “Team SkyGuardian is a significant benefit to L3 WESCAM and provides more opportunities for the modular growth path of the WESCAM MX-20 as mission portfolios evolve and the battlespace continues to change on a global scale,” said Jacques Comtois, Vice President and General Manager of L3 WESCAM. “MX systems are the eyes of customers across more than 80 countries worldwide.”

L3’s WESCAM MX-Series has been engineered to focus on the three factors that drive maximum range: resolution, magnification and stabilization. As a result, each turret has outperformed its major competitor in every performance area, giving WESCAM the longest EO/IR target identification and designating ranges in the industry.

GA-ASI is the world’s leading manufacturer of RPAS and related mission systems. Team SkyGuardian Canada combines the best of Canadian industry with the world’s most advanced Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) RPAS, the MQ-9B SkyGuardian, being developed to fulfill Canada’s RPAS project requirements.

For more information on Team SkyGuardian, go to teamskyguardiancanada.com. High-resolution photos of MQ-9B SkyGuardian are available to qualified media outlets from the GA-ASI media contact list.

About GA-ASI

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is the leading designer and manufacturer of proven, reliable Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems, including the Predator^® RPA series and the Lynx^® Multi-mode Radar. With more than five million flight hours, GA-ASI provides long-endurance, mission-capable aircraft with integrated sensor and data link systems required to deliver persistent flight that enables situational awareness and rapid strike. The company also produces a variety of ground control stations and sensor control/image analysis software, offers pilot training and support services, and develops meta-material antennas. For more information, visit www.ga-asi.com.

Predator and Lynx are registered trademarks of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.