As part of a new contract, Poland will take delivery of MQ-9A Reaper Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI). The agreement between the Polish Ministry of Defence and the GA-ASI is valued at USD 70.6 million. MQ-9A Reapers are operated by different countries, including the UK, Italy, France, the United States, Spain, and the Netherlands. Belgium and the UK have acquired GA-ASI’s newer MQ-9B variant that recently began operations supporting the Japanese Coast Guard.
MQ-9A Reaper has a perseverance of over 27 hours, attaining speeds of 123. 5 m/s (240 KTAS) and operating at altitudes up to 15,240 m (50,000 ft). It has a 1,746 kg payload capacity, including 1,361 kg of external stores. The Reaper provides a persistent surveillance capability with Full-Motion Video (FMV) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)/Moving Target Indicator (MTI)/Maritime Radar. Moreover, a fault-tolerant flight controller is equipped with a triple-redundant avionics system architecture.
GA-ASI support for NATO and Poland alliance is abiding as they confront the ongoing war in the region. The CEO of GA-ASI said, “We look forward to delivering our demonstrate MQ-9A platform system to Poland to enhance the nation’s ability to conduct perpetual airborne ISR and support its Defense Forces.” In addition, as the company provides mission-capable aircraft with integrated sensor and data link systems, it enhances situational awareness and rapid strikes. With a variety of ground control stations and control software, GA-ASI develops meta-material antennas.
