In the United States, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, located at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, has awarded General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) an undefined contract, with a maximum amount of about $8.2 million for the armament of Spain’s MQ-9A remotely piloted aircraft systems.
The contract provides for the supply via foreign military sales channels (FMS) of hardware and support services for the armament of the Spanish fleet of MQ-9A.
The works of this order will be carried out in Poway, California, and their completion is expected by June 30, 2027.
The Armament Program
At the end of November 2023, the Madrid government authorized the conclusion of a contract for the acquisition and integration of the AGM-114R2 Hellfire air-to-ground guided missile and its associated equipment in the Reaper weapon system (still called Predator in Spain), in service with the Ejército del Aire y del Espacio (Army of the Air and Space).
The acquisition and integration of these air-to-surface guided missiles into the MQ-9A Reaper drones, for a value then estimated at 13.39 million euros, will allow updating and enhancing the capabilities of this weapon system, thus improving the air-to-surface capabilities of the Reaper drones of the Ejército del Aire y del Espacio for the fulfillment of the missions entrusted to it, with particular regard to the support and protection of the various Units of the Armed Forces and their personnel during operations.
The Ejército del Aire y del Espacio has four MQ-9A Block 5 Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) and three Ground Control Stations (GCS) in service with the 233 Escuadrón (Wing 23) at the Talavera la Real base near Badajoz.
Source: US Department of Defense (US DoD)
Photo credit: @Ejército del Aire y del Espacio
