The US Navy has awarded a $39.5 million contract to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., of Poway, Calif., to provide MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Marine Corps troops stationed in Afghanistan. The aircraft would serve as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms for Marine Corps Task Force Southwest, as it conducts missions in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) are operations.
The company is expected to complete the work by November. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., issued an initial announcement in January about its intention to procure additional ISR support from Reapers for the Marines in Afghanistan.
Source: DoD