General Atomics was founded in 1955 as a division of the defense company General Dynamics, by ex-Los Alamos scientists looking to further develop atomic energy. Its remarkable circular corporate campus and R&D center, designed by William Pereira, was a key part of the development of the significant technology center that grew around UC San Diego, its supercomputing center, Scripps, and Torrey Pines. Though still involved in atomic energy projects, General Atomics was restructured as a privately held company in 1986, when it was acquired by Neal Blue, who is still its CEO today. Blue significantly developed the intelligence and UAV parts of the business, and today the company is a leader in the field, known mostly for its Predator UAVs–the first remotely piloted aircraft used openly to kill enemies of the US (in Afghanistan, in 2001).