General Atomics contracted for MQ-9 sale to Spain

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- General Atomics has received a $56 million contract action order to provide MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aircraft for the government of Spain.

The order is an adjustment to an existing basic ordering agreement between the United States and Spain. General Atomics will be tasked with providing the Reaper and its associated equipment.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the work will be performed at Poway, Calif., and is expected to be complete by Jan. 31, 2019. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio is listed as the contracting activity.

The MQ-9 Reaper is a turboprop-powered unmanned aircraft system designed for intelligence gathering and targeted strike missions, and features a flight endurance of over 27 hours. The aircraft can operate at altitudes of 50,000 feet, and can carry a 3,000-pound payload.

As a follow-up to the company's MQ-1 Predator, the Reaper is twice as fast as its predecessor, and can carry a 500 percent larger payload.