Software upgrade to French Reaper UAVs allows for operations over home territory
France is installing a software upgrade on its Block 5 Reapers. (Photo: French Air Force)
France has completed trials of a software upgrade to a General Atomics Reaper Block 5 UAV which allows the country’s fleet of aircraft to operate from French bases and over French territory.
The 2408 software version allows for the implementation of new armament and communications-intelligence capabilities. The trials were carried out by the country’s military aviation expertise centre as well as the DGA Flight Test Center of Expertise and Test and were supported by the French Air and Space Force.
The test flights were accompanied by two Dassault Rafale multirole fighter jets and it is expected all French Reapers will be upgraded to the v2408 software by the end of 2023. Importantly, the upgrade will allow the aircraft to operate from and over French territory as well as train on French soil with limited constraints.
The first French Block 5 aircraft was delivered in January 2020 but remained inactive because it lacked flight clearance from the defence procurement agency DGA. It was not until March that the first flight of a Block 5 Reaper occurred, with the first operational mission being conducted in May 2021.
Related Articles
General Atomics to work on French Reapers
French Reapers prepare to add hitting power in Africa
US approves MQ-9 Reaper follow-on support sale to France
France has deployed its armed Reapers to Niger and it was reported in May last year that a Block 1 variant crashed as it was preparing to land at Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey. It was diverted away from the airport. Five years earlier another French reaper crashed in Niger after operations in Mali.
In August 2021 France’s Ministry of Armed Forces reported that a French Block 5 Reaper dropped a GBU-12 laser-guided bomb for the first time in the Sahel region as part of Operation Barkhane.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![Lockheed’s deal to triple PAC-3 MSE production opens doors to portfolio boost]()
Lockheed’s deal to triple PAC-3 MSE production opens doors to portfolio boost
The framework agreement with the US Department of Defense would see Lockheed Martin increase production capacity from 600 to 2,000 interceptors per year.
-
![Bell advances to next stage of US Army’s aviator training programme competition]()
Bell advances to next stage of US Army’s aviator training programme competition
The US Army plans to award a contract through its Flight School Next competition to replace its UH-72A Lakota by late 2026.
-
![Denmark to bolster maritime defences as P-8A FMS deal approved by US]()
Denmark to bolster maritime defences as P-8A FMS deal approved by US
The NATO country continues to focus on building up its maritime surveillance and enforcement capabilities as part of a major investment in its Arctic defences.
-
![Spain moves ahead with transport, intelligence and training aircraft modernisation efforts]()
Spain moves ahead with transport, intelligence and training aircraft modernisation efforts
Confirming its C295 order in late December, the Spanish Ministry of Defence also awarded Airbus with its Hurjet procurement contract and both Airbus and Indra with a contract to investigate a proposed Signals Intelligence aircraft solution by 2028.
-
![December Drone Digest: Germany, Australia and US champion indigenous UAV production]()
December Drone Digest: Germany, Australia and US champion indigenous UAV production
One of the key trends seen in December has been the rise in indigenous investment within the UAV market, particularly across certain countries, with Germany, Australia and the US focusing on their commitments to sovereign development.
-
![What might next-generation military aircrew training look like?]()
What might next-generation military aircrew training look like?
Changing roles for combat aircraft fleets, the rise of simulation and LVC technologies, and the increasing cost of flight hours could all be leading to a paradigm shift in military pilot training.
