Inside Defense:
General Atomics will continue upgrading its MQ-9 Reaper to track and defeat ballistic missiles under a new, $134 million “advanced technology innovation” contract with the Missile Defense Agency, the Defense Department said this week.
“The contractor will complete the development, integration, and flight test of an advanced sensor into an MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle in realistic test scenarios at continental U.S. and outside the continental U.S. locations,” the Aug. 20 contract announcement said. “The work will be performed in San Diego, CA. The performance period is from August 2018 through October 2021.”
Last year, Inside Defense reported MDA anticipated a Reaper would enter flight tests in 2020 with Raytheon’s Multi-Spectral Targeting System C sensor and a laser-tracking system. The configuration could enter operation in 2026.
