SAN DIEGO – Dee Wilson and Robin Snider of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI) were honored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) with awards for outstanding contributions to aerospace at an event on May 10th. 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.
“Dee and Robin are excellent examples of the talent and leadership we have at GA-ASI,” said David R. Alexander, president, Aircraft Systems, GA-ASI. “I congratulate them on receiving the AIAA awards and thank them for their outstanding contributions to our company’s development efforts.”
In the category of Outstanding Contribution to Aerospace Management, Dee Wilson, vice president of Engineering for GA-ASI’s Aircraft Systems business unit, was recognized for his leadership in the engineering development of the company’s RPA, including Predator® C Avenger® Extended Range, Gray Eagle Extended Range, Predator XP, and the company’s newest Predator B variant, MQ-9B SkyGuardian™, which is designed to be certified under the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) System Airworthiness NATO STANAG 4671 standard. Mr. Wilson is responsible for managing the company’s functional engineering departments, including Mechanical, Electrical, Software, Flight Technologies, and Engineering Services, as well as acting as Head of Design and overseeing the Office of Airworthiness. In his 13 years with GA-ASI, Mr. Wilson has been a driving force in improving the reliability for all GA-ASI aircraft and ground control stations. GA-ASI earned recognition from the U.S. Air Force for its Predator and Reaper® RPA systems having the highest reliability rating of any manned or unmanned aircraft in their inventory.
Robin Snider, senior director of Advanced Systems & Payloads for GA-ASI’s Mission Systems business unit, was honored for Outstanding Contribution to Aerospace Research. Mr. Snider is an industry pioneer in advanced electro-optics sensors, electronic warfare systems, and high-performance conformal antennas for both manned and unmanned aircraft platforms. He was directly responsible for the development and deployment of the very successful counter Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Highlighter system. His leadership and technical contributions have taken the basic Electro-Optic and Infrared (EO/IR) technology and expanded the capability and missions beyond counter IED into an array of systems that directly support troops on the ground. Mr. Snider had led the development and deployment of very compact conformal antennas, enabling unique communications and electronic warfare systems.
The event also recognized Steven Jacobson, a Loads and Dynamics engineer for GA-ASI, who received second place for Outstanding Section for the year he chaired the San Diego Section of AIAA.
The San Diego Section of AIAA is dedicated to promoting awareness, activism, and access throughout the aerospace community.
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. With more than 5 million flight hours, 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.
Predator, Avenger, and Lynx are registered trademarks and SkyGuardian is a trademark of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
