General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has successfully integrated the advanced Optix software—developed by General Atomics Integrated Intelligence, Inc. (GA-i3)—into the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Common Intelligence Picture (CIP) for a multi-service Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course.
This milestone marks a significant enhancement in the USMC’s Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, delivering a unified operational view critical to the training of future aviation leaders. For the USMC, this integration directly supports the deployment and effectiveness of the GA-ASI-supplied MQ-9A Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aircraft System within the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF).
Achieved through close collaboration with Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) and Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron One (VMX-1), the integration brought together engineers from GA-ASI and GA-i3 alongside USMC unmanned aviation operations experts. Their combined efforts enabled the seamless deployment of the Optix software during the rigorous WTI 2-25 training cycle.
USMC MQ-9A operations during the exercise took place at Yuma, Arizona, and the Strategic Expeditionary Landing Field (SELF) at Twenty-Nine Palms, California—the Marine Corps’ only expeditionary runway in the U.S. The live-fire training environment provided an invaluable opportunity to evaluate the MQ-9A’s role in complex combat scenarios.
By introducing Optix into this high-demand setting, Marines gained access to real-time data fusion, a shared operational picture, and enhanced collaborative decision-making—tools critical for modern battlefield success.
“The integration of Optix software represents a key step toward the effective deployment of the MQ-9A MUX MALE platform within the MAGTF and joint operations,” said Doug Brouwer, Senior Director for USMC Programs at GA-ASI. “It enables near real-time situational awareness and improves the decision-making process across the battlespace.”
Andrew Majchrowicz, Project Manager for Department of Defense Programs at GA-i3, added: “Equipping Marines with advanced ISR tools like Optix enhances the common intelligence picture and operational readiness in live-fire environments. This is a critical milestone in our shared goal of enabling joint-force effectiveness and full operational integration of the MQ-9A.”
The successful deployment of Optix within the WTI course underscores General Atomics’ continued commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions that empower the U.S. military with unmatched intelligence and operational capabilities for future multi-domain operations.
About GA-i3
General Atomics Integrated Intelligence, Inc’s (GA-i3’s) capabilities include spatio-temporal data management, advanced analytics, visualization tools, and computer vision, alongside AI/ML-enabled automated target recognition services. These capabilities support a wide range of national, tactical, and commercial/international applications, leveraging both commercial cloud and edge-based computing solutions and are fully integrated with hundreds of sources of commercial data as well as GA’s unmanned systems.
About GA-ASI
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., is the world’s foremost builder of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Logging more than 8 million flight hours, the Predator® line of UAS has flown for over 30 years and includes MQ-9A Reaper®, MQ-1C Gray Eagle® 25M, MQ-20 Avenger®, and MQ-9B SkyGuardian®/SeaGuardian®. The company is dedicated to providing long-endurance, multi-mission solutions that deliver persistent situational awareness and rapid strike.
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