United States, April 22 -- General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has conducted a series of flight tests aimed at certifying the MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) for Flight Into Known Icing (FIKI). The flight tests began last year, and all planned testing was successfully completed in early April from GA-ASI's Flight Test & Training Center (FTTC) near Grand Forks, North Dakota, using a company-owned MQ-9B.The FIKI flights build on earlier successful flight tests to evaluate flight characteristics with simulated ice shapes adhered to the aircraft as well as the aircraft's successful Cold Weather Validation and flights in the Arctic. FIKI certification will expand MQ-9B's abilities to provide all-weather surveillance capabil...