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The French Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) gained its first weapons capability during a firing campaign from Niamey airbase in Niger on 15-17 December. Four evaluation drops were conducted from Niamey as part of the 'Barkhane' operation.

The short firing campaign was preceded by ground training in Niamey to ensure that the equipment and procedures were suitable for local conditions in the Sahel region. French armourers received training from their US colleagues on the installation and removal of GBU-12 laser-guided bombs on and from the Reaper. Several simulated drops were also conducted from Niamey and Cognac airbases, the latter the home base of the 1/33 Belfort UAV squadron, to train in procedures.

The firing campaign started on 15 December on a range north of Gao in a desert environment.

The first drop was made in fully automatic mode, with the Reaper designating the target and automatically computing the launch time based on its altitude and speed. The second drop took place on 16 December with manual control. The third flight on 17 December resulted in the simultaneous firing of two GBU-12s on two different targets. The first target was designated by the UAV itself and the second by another Reaper orbiting nearby. All drops were successful, according to the French Air Force.

France operates three Reaper block 1 UAVs from Niamey and two more from Cognac. So far only the Niamey-based UAVs have wiring and wing pylons for the GBUs, to be followed by the Cognac-based Reapers in early 2020.

• http://www.air-actualites.com/TirReaper ... drones.pdf

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $43,650,760 undefinitized contract action for France contractor logistics support MQ-9 Block 5 and Block 1 aircraft. This contract provides logistics support activities including depot repair, life cycle sustainment and software maintenance services for the French Air Force MQ-9 Block 5 and Block 1 aircraft. Work will be performed in Poway, California, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2020. This contract involves 100% Foreign Military Sales to France. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $21,388,872 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-20-C-2009).

France has retired its General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9 Reaper Block I unmanned aircraft system (UAS) in favour of the MQ-9 Reaper Block 5 Extended-Range (ER) UAS.

The French Air and Space Force (l'Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace: AAE) announced the transition on 21 January, noting the conclusion of 11 years of Reaper Block 1 operations at Cognac-Chateaubernard Air Base.

France had six Reaper Block 1 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that it is now replacing with 12 Reaper Block 5 ER UAVs, the first of which were delivered in 2020. The Block 5 ER builds on the Block 1 in that it features field-retrofittable capabilities, such as wingborne fuel pods and reinforced landing gear. It also features winglets and a four-bladed pusher-propeller in place of the standard three-bladed unit. These combine to give the Block 5 ER a 30 hour endurance (compared with 24 hours for the Block 1) and a range of 2,592 km (compared with 1,850 km).

While the earlier Block 1 UAVs had been unarmed and used exclusively for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, the Block 5 ER UAVs are armed with GBU-12/49 Paveway precision-guided bombs and AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, and are equipped with a Foreign Military Sales (FMS)-acquired pod for electronic intelligence gathering.