Australia decides on Reaper variant
On 28 November the Australian Department of Defence announced which one of two shortlisted MQ-9 MALE UAVs it will buy to equip the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). This A$1.3 billion ($884 million) programme will give Australia its first ever UCAV.
Australia has down-selected the MQ-9B SkyGuardian from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) for Project Air 7003. The MQ-9 Reaper had been down-selected in November 2018, with both the MQ-9A Block 5 ER Reaper and the MQ-9B Certifiable Predator B under consideration.
A ministerial press release stated: ‘The next phase will focus on developing the MQ-9B acquisition proposal,
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