42-Hour Reaper UAV

Modernized Reaper UAV can fly for 42 hours, up from 27th The extra fuel tanks and wings of greater span.


General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has modernized the Enhancement Study Endurance UAV MQ-9 Reaper, making its flight duration will be increased from 27 to 42 hours. The new version is equipped with extra fuel tanks and wing span increased from 20.1 to 26.8 m and elongated tail, respectively. In connection with weight, bezzałogowiec has also reinforced chassis. Reaper has modernized weigh over 5 tons.

General Atomics has made the modernization of the own resources (Internal Research and Development, Irad). There are two options. The addition of overhead tanks and strengthening of the chassis can increase the endurance of 27 to 37 hours. In the full version upgrade, after an increase in wing span and tail, it can increase endurance up to 42 h Reinforced chassis is designed to enable increased maximum takeoff weight of 12% - from 4.7 to 5.3 t, and the landing mass of 30% .

General Atomics offers a modernizing Reapers in the bases, from which they operate bezzałogowce. In Afghanistan, North Africa and other regions of the world. Increasing endurance is primarily to reduce operating costs using Reapers, which depends on the Pentagon and other users (CIA, U.S. Border Patrol, United Kingdom, Italy). It is worth recalling that in order to reduce procurement costs, the USAF decided to reduce the order of the MQ-9 by half, to 24 per year. With over 120 delivered since 2001, now fly 94 Reapers.