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USAF Drops $995 Million to Upgrade the Reaper Drone

Amentum Awarded Five-Year RPA Maintenance Support Contract

The US Air Force has agreed to invest nearly $1 billion into its MQ-9A Reaper fleet, recently awarding the Remotely Piloted Aircraft Maintenance Support IDIQ contract to Amentum. The five-year deal will fund modernization and sustainment efforts for the Reaper system, both domestically and abroad, to boost its combat readiness.

“Amentum’s unmanned aerial solutions are designed to ensure the MQ-9 Reaper remains a formidable force in complex, dynamic environments,” said Mark Walter, president of Amentum’s Engineering and Technology business. “Our experience delivering enhanced mission capabilities and MQ-9 unique operational constructs, such as Satellite Launch and Recovery (SLR), offers innovative versatility and efficiency to meet the US Air Force’s evolving and dynamic mission needs.”

The MQ-9 Reaper is a long-endurance unmanned aerial system that came around in the early 2000s. It has quickly become a key asset in US military operations with advanced sensors, precision armaments, ground control stations, and satellite communications. The aircraft serves surveillance and strike missions to maintain the Air Force’s technological advantage in modern warfare.

But with the combat environment rapidly shifting, the Air Force decided to give the Reaper a boost in the form of a whopping $995 million contract. Under the deal, Amentum will supply personnel, weapons loading support, and aerospace ground equipment services across multiple sites worldwide. These initiatives aim to improve mission capability, streamline maintenance, and support training operations to uphold the platform’s reputation for reliability.

“Amentum is uniquely positioned to enhance the operational excellence of the MQ-9 Reaper,” said Amentum’s senior VP of Modernization and Training, Mark Evans. “Our legacy dates back to early systems like the MQ-1 Predator and the RQ-4 Global Hawk, which provided Amentum with deep technical insights and operational proficiency in MQ-9 systems worldwide.”

The Remotely Piloted Aircraft Maintenance Support IDIQ contract, managed by Air Combat Command, will span a five-year ordering period.

FMI: www.amentum.com

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