Poway-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has won a $279.1 million contract to build 24 MQ-9 Block 5 Reaper attack drones for the Air Force.
Officials of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio announced the deal, which includes spare parts and support equipment.
The Reaper is a variant of the General Atomics’ original Predator. The Reaper is designed for surveillance and attack missions using a suite of airborne sensors and the AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missile. The craft can fly for 27 hours at an altitude of 50,000 feet.
Users include the U.S. Air Force, British Royal Air Force and Italian Air Force.
