France has ordered a third lot of drones Reaper, with delivery starting from 2019 for three UAVs and two ground stations. It's what they communicate from Direction Générale de l'Armement. The contracts were signed last December 7th.
France had already ordered a second lot last July with delivery scheduled for next year. The first two lots purchased are based on standard US Air Force platforms, while the third will be in an international version. I Reaper Block-I of the first two lots purchased will be updated after the version Block V. The third lot, instead, is based exclusively on the version Block V.
The MQ-9 Reaper, wingspan of 20 meters and 27 hours of autonomy, is used by the United Kingdom, France and Italy. It has already been ordered by the Netherlands and Spain. The United Kingdom and Italy are the only countries after the United States to have been authorized to dispose of the armed version. Turkey has also made this request.
I Reaper Block V currently represent the latest version of the General Atomics drone. The new model has a high capacity starter generator and a totally revised electrical system with a backup system capable of supporting all flight functions. The drone has three independent power sources to accommodate new sensors and simultaneous communication systems between multiple air-to-air and air-to-ground platforms. The Block-V ensures greater data transmission capacity in "total" safety and can carry heavier loads than previous versions.
It should be noted that the French Reaper will not be armed. The procedure for the acquisition of weapons systems for UAVs is subject to the go-ahead by the State Department with ratification by the United States Congress.
(photo: Armée de l'Air)
