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http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2010/02/ga-asi-attracts-customer-for-a.html

GA-ASI attracts customer for a high-altitude Avenger, says supplier

Lockheed Martin briefed reporters yesterday about the targeting system for the F-35 and dropped somehow two bombshells about the General Atomic Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) Avenger.

The Avenger apparently has a customer, and that customer wants "Global Hawk-like" or "U-2-like" sensors for the high altitude surveillance mission, Lockheed says. Unfortunately for Lockheed, that also means that plans to install the F-35's electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) on the Avenger are on hold.

GA-ASI declined to comment about Lockheed's statements.

But now that Lockheed's statements are out there, we can at least talk about the potential implications.

First, who could this customer be? GA-ASI has sold the Predator/Warrior/Reaper family to a wide range of US military services, intelligence groups, civilian agencies and foreign militaries. I'm assuming Lockheed did not brief reporters about classified information, so that probably rules out the CIA or DIA as the potential buyer.

Second, what does the "high-altitude" part means? I've perhaps incorrectly thought of the Avenger as a direct replacement for the medium-altitude Predator/Reaper family, but what if the stealthy, jet-powered UAV is really meant to challenge the RQ-4, especially on the export market? GA-ASI has said that the Avenger is designed to operate at up to 60,000ft. Could certain foreign militaries -- Australia? Singapore? Japan? -- desire an alternative to the Global Hawk?

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어벤저를 살려고하는쪽이 있는데 고공 정찰을 위해서 글로벌호크나 U-2등에 탑재되는수준의 센서를 달기를 원한다고합니다...

설마 한국이...?!  하지만 돈도없고 글로벌호크 판다고해도 안사는데 이런걸 살리가...

하지만 또 반대로 글로벌호크는 너무비싸고 이건 글로벌호크와 비교하면 가격대비 성능이 꽤나 괜찮은 물건이라서 그렇게 생각해보면 또 우리나라일수도 있을것같고...(어디까지나 희망입니다)