The drone with big shoulders: San Diego-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. has released images of its new

San Diego Business Journal, Sept 15, 2003 by Brad Graves

The Drone With Big Shoulders: San Diego-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. has released images of its new, extended-range Predator aircraft.

One thing that differentiates the remote-control aircraft from previous models is a bulbous area over the wings. While conventional Predators have a sleek midsection, this model needs a place to put the extra fuel it needs.

The company says the model can stay in the air for 49 hours or longer. It describes the conventional Predator B's endurance as "30-plus hours."

The Predator B-ER (or extended range) also carries a radome suspended from its belly, for a 360-degree look at the ocean below.

Aeronautical Systems produces the Predator in San Diego. The company is teaming up with Lockheed Martin Corp. to go after the Navy's $2 billion Broad Area Maritime Surveillance project.

Meanwhile, Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems, its crosstown rival, wants to put its Global Hawk drone to work on the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance project. Northrop already has a $185 million contract to provide two Global Hawks to the Navy.

The Navy is expected to award a contract for the engineering manufacturing demonstration phase of Broad Area Maritime Surveillance in June 2004.