MQ-1 aircraft and MD-1 GCS retrofit kits for the Department of the Air Force

This defense contract awarded to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems involved retrofit kits for MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircraft and MD-1 ground control stations (GCS) during fiscal year 2009. The MQ-1 Predator is a medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft primarily used for armed reconnaissance and interdiction missions. The retrofit kits would have updated existing aircraft and ground control equipment with improvements such as enhanced avionics, datalinks, de-icing systems, upgraded engines, and other performance enhancements to bring older systems closer to current production standards. The MD-1 series refers to various ground control station configurations, including the MD-1A (Block 20 GCS), MD-1B (Launch and Recovery Control Station), and MD-1C (Containerized Dual Control System). This FY09 retrofit program modernized fielded Predator systems to extend their operational capability and maintain fleet readiness.