MQ-9B SkyGuardian passes the cold test - the drone can operate in temperatures of -21 degrees Celsius

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) tested the MQ-9B SkyGuardian drone. The distinctive feature of the tests was that they were conducted in freezing temperatures.

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The US company assessed the drone's ability to operate in extreme weather conditions. The test expanded the MQ-9B SkyGuardian's operational capabilities and is an important step as GA-ASI wants to sell the drone to Scandinavian countries.

During the test, the drone was put into "cold holding" mode. This allowed the SkyGuardian to operate for 12 hours at -21 degrees Celsius (-5 degrees Fahrenheit).

GA-ASI says it has other customers in addition to the Scandinavian countries. In particular, the Japanese Coast Guard has been using the MQ-9B SkyGuardian since late last year. Other foreign customers are Belgium and the UK. But in the case of these countries, the ability to operate at extreme temperatures is not critical.

Source: GA-ASI