France receives third MQ-9 Reaper
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI) has delivered a third Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to the French Ministry of Defense, the company announced on 29 May.
The UAV joins two existing Reapers in French service, which together have accumulated over 4,000 flight hours since operations began in January 2014.
Sensor operators and pilots from the Drone Squadron 1/33 'Belfort', based at Cognac-Château Bernard air base, are performing mission operations for battlefield situational awareness, search and rescue and ground troop support.
Frank Pace, president, aircraft systems, GA-ASI, said: 'This latest order from the French Defense Procurement and Technology Agency (Direction Générale de l’Armement – DGA) is a testament to Reaper’s ability to enhance the ISR [Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance] of the French Air Force in support of national, NATO, and other coalition operations.'
The Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper is a medium-high-altitude, long-endurance UAV for ISR and targeting missions. It has a payload capacity of 850lbs internally and 3,000lbs externally, a maximum altitude of 50,000ft and can fly for up to 27 hours.
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