Editing General Atomics MQ-1 Predator (section)

===Other versions and fate===
Two unarmed versions, known as the [[General Atomics ALTUS]] were built, ALTUS I for the [[Naval Postgraduate School]] and ALTUS II for the [[NASA]] [[ERAST Project]] in 1997 and 1996, respectively.<ref name="NASA Dryden Fact Sheet – ALTUS II" />

Based on the MQ-1 Predator, the [[General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle]] was developed for the U.S. Army.

The USAF ordered a total of 259 Predators, and due to retirements and crashes the number in Air Force operation was reduced to 154 as of May 2014.  Budget proposals planned to retire the Predator fleet between FY 2015 and 2017 in favor of the larger [[MQ-9 Reaper]], which has greater payload and range.  The Predators were to be stored at [[Davis-Monthan Air Force Base]] or given to other agencies willing to take them.  The [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection]]  showed interest, but already had higher-performance Reapers and were burdened with operating costs.  The [[U.S. Coast Guard]] also showed interest in land-based UAV surveillance.  Foreign sales were also an option, but the MQ-1 is subject to limitations of the [[Missile Technology Control Regime]] because it can be armed; export markets are also limited by the existence of the Reaper.<ref>[https://archive.today/20140517154223/http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140513/DEFREG/305120020/Ready-for-Retirement-Can-Predator-Find-New-Home Ready for Retirement, Can Predator Find New Home?] – Defensenews.com, 13 May 2014</ref> Given the Predator's pending phase-out and its size, weight, and power limitations, the Air Force decided not to pursue upgrades to make it more effective in contested environments, and determined its only use in defended airspace would be as a decoy to draw fire away from other aircraft.<ref>[http://www.militarytimes.com/story/defense/air-space/isr/2015/08/04/smarter-deadlier-drone-upgrades-uav-predator-reaper-global-hawk/31125619/ Smarter, Deadlier UAV: USAF Looks at Upgrades] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904034214/http://www.militarytimes.com/story/defense/air-space/isr/2015/08/04/smarter-deadlier-drone-upgrades-uav-predator-reaper-global-hawk/31125619/ |date=4 September 2015 }} - ''[[Sightline Media Group|Military Times]]'', 5 August 2015</ref> Due to airborne surveillance needs after the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] (ISIL) [[Northern Iraq offensive (June 2014)|invaded Iraq]], the Predator's retirement was delayed to 2018.  MQ-1s will probably be placed in non-recoverable storage at the Boneyard and not sold to allies, although antenna, ground control stations, and other components may be salvaged for continued use on other airframes.<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/usaf-plans-to-end-mq-1-predator-operations-in-2018-415742/ USAF plans to end MQ-1 Predator operations in 2018] – Flightglobal.com, 14 August 2015</ref>

General Atomics completed the final RQ-1 ordered by Italy by October 2015, marking the end of Predator A production after two decades.  The last Predator for the USAF was completed in 2011; later Predator aircraft were built on the Predator XP assembly line.<ref>[https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/italian-delivery-marks-end-of-general-atomics-rq-1-p-420338/ Italian delivery marks end of General Atomics RQ-1 production] – Flightglobal.com, 23 December 2015.</ref>

The [[United States Air Force]] announced plans to retire the MQ-1 on 9 March 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2018/02/16/air-force-announces-official-retirement-date-for-iconic-mq-1-predator/|title=Air Force announces official retirement date for iconic MQ-1 Predator drone|last=Losey|first=Stephen|date=20 February 2018|work=[[Air Force Times]]}}</ref> The Predator was officially retired from USAF service in March 2018.<ref name="ain13march18" />