GA-ASI to Support US Air Force UAS Programs With Innovation Hub in Ohio
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) is establishing an innovation hub in Dayton, Ohio, to support hardware and software development for US Air Force (USAF) programs.
The upcoming facility will serve as the center for supporting rapid prototyping, integration, and testing of next-generation uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), building on GA-ASI’s longstanding work supplying UAS to the USAF.
Scheduled to open in Spring 2027, the 22,000-square-foot (2,044-square-meter) facility will accommodate a mission operations center that will enable remote flight control of GA-ASI aircraft.
It will also feature experimentation, training, and demonstration activities in close coordination with partners.
The innovation hub is near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB), which houses the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center and the Air Force Research Laboratory.
This location will “enable collaboration with local industry and more frequent interaction with our US Air Force customer,” said GA-ASI VP of DoD Strategic Development Patrick Shortsleeve.
It will add to the company’s existing site opened in 2014 outside the WPAFB, and expand the company’s Ohio footprint by “more than seven times the existing square footage.”
“GA-ASI’s decision to choose Ohio for its new innovation hub speaks to Ohio’s aviation heritage and the ingenuity of our people,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.
“This continued growth is part of a long-term strategy to deliver the facilities, infrastructure and talent necessary to ensure UAS pioneers can scale operations and succeed here in Ohio,” he added.
GA-ASI Aircraft for the US Air Force
The USAF operates the GA-ASI-made MQ-9 Reaper — a medium-altitude, long-endurance UAS and successor to the MQ-1 Predator — for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and strike missions.
Earlier this month, GA-ASI proposed a new drone called the “Wildfire” as a potential successor to the MQ-9.
Beyond its ISR and strike platforms, GA-ASI is also developing aircraft for the USAF’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.
The company’s FQ-42 Vengeance, previously known as the “YFQ-42A Dark Merlin,” was selected for the program alongside Anduril’s YFQ-44A.
