SAN DIEGO – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI) engineers Jeff Hettick and Jordan Ramrus were recently honored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) with awards for outstanding aerospace contributions. The San Diego Section of AIAA is dedicated to promoting awareness, activism, and access throughout the aerospace community. GA-ASI is a leading employer in the San Diego area and manufacturer of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems solutions.
“Jeff and Jordan are great examples of the engineering talent and leadership we have at GA-ASI,” said David R. Alexander, president, Aircraft Systems, GA-ASI. “I congratulate both on receiving the AIAA awards and thank them for their outstanding contributions to our company’s engineering and development efforts.”
In the category of Outstanding Contribution to Aerospace Engineering, Jeff Hettick, vice president of engineering special programs for GA-ASI’s Aircraft Systems business unit, was recognized as an industry pioneer, specializing in the engineering of the company’s revolutionary RPA systems including Predator®, Predator B/MQ-9Reaper®, Gray Eagle, and Predator C Avenger®. Mr. Hettick also manages Ground Control System (GCS) design and development, data link communications systems, and aircraft payload integration. With over three decades of software, project, and systems engineering experience, the transformational RPA that he and the world-class team at GA-ASI have developed, continue to revolutionize modern air warfare and have saved countless lives.
Jordan Ramrus, also with GA-ASI Aircraft Systems, is a technical director and was honored for Outstanding Contribution to Aerospace Management. Mr. Ramrus is an industry expert in next-generation airborne sensors in support of manned and unmanned systems. He is currently responsible for the expanding the roles of GA-ASI’s Gray Eagle and Avenger RPA. Before that, he was chief engineer of GA-ASI’s highly successful Lynx® multi-mode radar, a state-of-the-art, lightweight, high-performance, high-reliability, airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) with over 480 units in service. He also supervised the company’s Due Regard Radar (DRR) program, an internally funded radar that will be used to enable RPA systems to fly in national airspace.
Other GA-ASI employees recognized for their support of AIAA include Katherine Kucharski, Iona Broom, Steven Jacobsen and Marjorie Rima. Ms. Kucharski was presented with the Outstanding Section Award for her activities and contributions to AIAA throughout the year as Section Chair. Ms. Broom, Mr. Jacobsen, and Ms. Rima were part of team that earned an AIAA national award for their work in planning and executing events that increased participation from their younger members.
About GA-ASI
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a leading designer and manufacturer of proven, reliable Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems, including the Predator RPA series and the Lynx Multi-mode Radar. Celebrating over 25 years of aviation innovation, GA-ASI provides long-endurance, mission-capable aircraft with integrated sensor and data link systems required to deliver persistent flight that enables situational awareness and rapid strike. The company also produces a variety of ground control stations and sensor control/image analysis software, offers pilot training and support services, and develops meta-material antennas. For more information, visit www.ga-asi.com.
