DOPPELADLER.COM

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has released imagery of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9A Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) fitted with a previously undisclosed new payload.

Released on 18 April to coincide with a media event at the Royal Air Force (RAF) Waddington marking 10 years of UK-based combat operations, the imagery shows a Middle East-based Reaper fitted with a check-mounted sensor array on each side of the aircraft. The image also shows a previously classified blade antenna fitted to the underfuselage.

The MoD provided no details as to the nature of either payload, although Commanding Officer 13 Squadron and Reaper Force Commander, Wing Commander Stuart McAdam, told Janes at the media event that the Reaper now has “a very comprehensive” signals intelligence (SIGINT) suite, as well as a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) capability to see through weather.

• Air-to-Air Missile Systems Program
  CAPT James Stoneman, Program Manager
  
  http://www.ndiagulfcoast.com/events/arc ... oneman.pdf