General Atomics Awarded U.S.Air Force Contract for 24 MQ-9 Reaper ProductionAircraft

[Someoneforyou]

General Atomics Awarded U.S.Air Force Contract for 24 MQ-9 Reaper Production Aircraft

UNITED STATES - 3 FEBRUARY 2011

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Poway, Calif., was awarded a $148,255,502 contract which will procure 24 MQ-9 Reaper production aircraft. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. ASC/WIIK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-10-G-3038 0028).

Source: U.S. Department of Defense

 

[Someoneforyou]

U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper (Predator B) Hunter/Killer Drone

- The MQ-9 Reaper (originally the Predator B) is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) (also known as a Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV)) developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI). The MQ-9 is the first hunter-killer UAV designed for long-endurance, high-altitude surveillance.

- Although the MQ-9 can fly pre-programmed routes autonomously, the aircraft is always monitored or controlled by aircrew in the Ground Control Station and weapons employment is always commanded by the pilot. Hence the preference to refer to the MQ-9 as a Remotely Piloted Vehicle.

- Operators can hunt for targets and observe terrain using a number of sensors, including a thermal camera. One estimate has the on-board camera able to read a license plate from two miles (3.2 km) away.

- An operator's command takes 1.2 seconds to reach the drone via a satellite link.

- An MQ-9 with two 1,000 pound (450 kilogram) external fuel tanks and a thousand pounds of munitions has an endurance of 42 hours. The Reaper has an endurance of 14 hours when fully loaded with munitions.

- The MQ-9 carries a variety of weapons including the GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bomb, the AGM-114 Hellfire II air-to-ground missiles, the AIM-9 Sidewinder and recently, the GBU-38 JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition).

SPECIFICATIONS:
"¢ Crew: None
"¢ Landing Type: runway
"¢ Launch Type: runway
"¢ Power Plant: Honeywell TP331-10 turboprop engine, 950 SHP (712 kW)
"¢ Fuel Capacity: 4,000 lb (1800 kg)
"¢ Wingspan: 66 ft (20 m)
"¢ Height: 12.5 ft (3.6 m)
"¢ Empty weight: 3,700 lb (2200 kg)
"¢ Max takeoff weight: 10,500 lb (4760 kg)

PERFORMANCE:
"¢ Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15 km)
"¢ Operational altitude: 25,000 ft (7.5 km)
"¢ Endurance: 14–28 hours (14 hours fully loaded)
"¢ Range: 3,200 nmi (5,926 km, 3,682 mi)
"¢ Payload: 3,800 lb (1700 kg)
"¢ Internal: 800 lb (360 kg)
"¢ External: 3,000 lb (1,400 kg)
"¢ Maximum speed: 260 knots (482 km/h, 300 mph)
"¢ Cruise speed: 150–170 knots (276–313 km/h, 172–195 mph)

WEAPONS AND ARMAMENTS:
"¢ 7 Hardpoints
"¢ Up to 1,500 lb (680 kg) on the two inboard weapons stations
"¢ Up to 750 lb (340 kg) on the two middle stations
"¢ Up to 150 lb (68 kg) on the outboard stations
"¢ Center station not used
"¢ Up to 14 AGM-114 Hellfire air to ground missiles can be carried or four Hellfire missiles and two 500 lb (230 kg) GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs. The 500 lb (230 kg) GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) can also be carried. Testing is underway to support the operation of the AIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missile.

 

[SHASH2K2]

Nice pics buddy. Hope you have some awesome videos as well.

 

[Someoneforyou]

Video: U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper Hunter/Killer Drone

 

[Someoneforyou]

 

[SHASH2K2]

Brother you should upload these videos on our defence video site as well. It will be easily available for all other members to view . Thanks a lot for videos.

 

[Someoneforyou]

Ellsworth U.S. Air Force Base moving forward on unmanned squadron
2 april 2011

RAPID CITY, S.D. — Ellsworth Air Force Base is taking steps toward activating an unmanned aircraft squadron on the base.

KEVN television reports that Detachment One of the 28th Operations Group was officially activated at a ceremony Friday. It will coordinate organizations on base that are teaming up to assist with the activation of the MQ-9 unmanned Reaper aircraft squadron.

The Air Force announced in June that the Reaper ground control station was coming to Ellsworth and would add about 280 civilian and military personnel.


Source: The Associated Press

 

[AOE]

Damn, what an awesome job.

 

[Someoneforyou]

Lockheed Martin Tactical Reconnaissance Radar Completes Unmanned Aerial System Test Flights
UNITED STATES - 19 april 2011

Penetrating Radar Capable of Detecting Concealed Objects Ready for Deployment

NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 19th, 2011 -- Lockheed Martin's [NYSE: LMT] Tactical Reconnaissance and Counter-Concealment-Enabled Radar, TRACER, has completed flight testing aboard a Predator B MQ-9 Unmanned Aerial System. TRACER is a dual-band (UHF and VHF) synthetic-aperture radar capable of detecting and geo-locating objects that are buried, camouflaged or concealed under foliage. Classified as a queuing sensor, TRACER processes images in real time, and can immediately down-link captured images to multiple ground stations. Prior to the MQ-9 UAS flight testing, TRACER had successfully completed 100 test flights on manned platforms.

"TRACER has demonstrated its long endurance, wide-area surveillance capability to detect targets in all operational environments – in any type of weather, day and night," said Jim Quinn, vice president of C4ISR Systems with Lockheed Martin's IS&GS-Defense. "TRACER will provide commanders with intelligence not currently available from higher frequency radars or electro-optical systems."

During the flight tests aboard the Predator B MQ-9, TRACER focused on identifying targets of interest that would be relevant to multiple theatres - including CENTCOM, PACOM, AFRICOM and SOUTHCOM. Over the course of the four month testing, the TRACER team validated the radar's performance in the harsh environment of an UAS configuration, thus mitigating risk for eventual installation on a tier IV UAS or other platforms, such as the YMQ-18A unmanned aerial helicopter. During the tests the team also demonstrated satellite data link control of both the vehicle and radar system.

There are currently four qualified TRACER systems available for deployment on manned or unmanned platforms. TRACER was developed for the U.S. Army's Intelligence and Information Warfare Directorate, based at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Md.

The TRACER system's design is predicated on Lockheed Martin's operationally proven foliage penetration (FOPEN) system, which was developed specifically to detect vehicles, buildings, and large metallic objects in broad areas of dense foliage, forested areas and wooded terrain. The radar's advanced detection capability suppresses background clutter and returns from stationary objects, while revealing the positions of mobile and portable targets. Over the course more than 1,000 operational missions, the low frequency FOPEN radar system's detection and tomography capabilities have proven extremely robust against a variety of targets and foliage environments.


Source: Lockheed Martin

 

[Someoneforyou]

DRC Awarded Additional Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Work Valued at $24.5 Million
UNITED STATES - 9 MAY 2011

ANDOVER, Mass., May 9, 2011 -- Dynamics Research Corporation (Nasdaq DRCO), a leading provider of innovative management consulting, engineering, and technology solutions, today announced that it has been awarded two delivery orders with a combined value of $24.5 million for a base year with an additional option year period of performance. These contracts allow DRC to continue its efforts supporting mission-critical services in conjunction with the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Predator/Reaper program.

Under the terms of the orders, DRC will provide the Medium Altitude UAS Division with support in critical areas focused on research and resolution of data rights for the entire Medium Altitude UAS program, as outlined in a new delivery order valued at $5.6 million. DRC will also provide program management, analysis and engineering in the second order valued at $18.9 million, continuing work that dates from 2008.

"These wins build on our growing support to the Medium Altitude UAS Predator/Reaper program and the vital role it plays in the national defense strategy," said Jim Regan, DRC's chairman and chief executive officer. "DRC's expertise with strategic Air Force programs has allowed us to build a strong presence within this vital program."

These delivery orders were awarded under the LMSS contract, a five-year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) effort providing total life cycle systems management support for business process services, solutions for Department of Defense logistics, maintenance and supply support functions, and associated technologies.


Source: Dynamics Research Corporation