The Italian Air Force (ItAF) has ordered two new MQ-9A Block 5 Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI).
When the new aircraft are delivered at the end of 2027, they will increase the size of the ItAF fleet. The purchase is part of a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) with the US Air Force that also includes Ground Control Stations.
“Italy has been a very important partner for GA-ASI for more than 20 years,” GA-ASI, President, David Alexander, said. “The Italian Air Force has continued to be a leader in the utilization of MQ-9A to support a wide range of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions in Italy, over the Mediterranean, and in support of NATO operations.”
According to GA-ASI, MQ-9A Block 5 has endurance of up to 26 hours and can operate up to 45,000 feet (13,716 meters). It has a 4,600 pounds (2,087kg) of payload capacity that includes 3,750 pounds (1,701kg) of external stores.
The company also claims that it provides long-endurance, persistent surveillance capability with Full-Motion Video, Synthetic Aperture Radar/Moving Target Indicator/Maritime Radar, and auto take-off and landing.
MQ-9A Block 5 is equipped with a fault-tolerant flight control system and a triple-redundant avionics system architecture.