General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) will make available a jet-powered Predator C Avenger for humanitarian relief missions—with the delivery of aid to war refugees in Syria mentioned as a potential application. That would represent a new, public mission for the remotely piloted aircraft, which until recently has been shrouded in secrecy.
GA-ASI announced on November 14 that it will provide a company-owned Avenger dubbed “Angel One” for aid drops. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney PW545B turbofan engine, the Avenger is capable of delivering 8,500 pounds of humanitarian daily rations for 3,400 people each day. A specially designed door release mechanism enables it to make two separate drops from its internal payload bay per mission, ensuring greater delivery success than traditional pallet drops, the manufacturer said.
“This capability could ensure that urgently needed food and medical supplies reach those otherwise inaccessible, such as victims of war—as in Syria—or following natural disasters throughout the world,” according to the announcement. “Angel One can fly up to three missions of three hours each per day for as long as humanitarian relief is required.”
GA-ASI’s offer adds to a recent uptick in information about the Predator C. On November 10, the manufacturer announced the first flight of an extended-range variant—the Avenger ER—which took place on October 27 at its Gray Butte flight operations facility in Palmdale, Calif.
The U.S. Air Force ordered one Avenger as a “test asset” in 2011, and the Central Intelligence Agency is thought to use the aircraft, but little else is known about the program. GA-ASI says it has other potential customers for the Avenger/Avenger ER that it cannot disclose.