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UK procures further two Reapers
The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) is set to expand its fleet of Predator B (MQ-9 Reaper) UAVs to five after Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) agreed the purchase of two more airframes from the US.
Speaking at an Air Power Association luncheon in London on 4 September Air Marshal Sir Barry Thornton, the Ministry of Defence's Chief of Material (Air), confirmed that the UK had agreed the purchase of two further aircraft. He also added that a third aircraft, to replace the one that crashed in April this year, is due in theatre in January.
Details on when the two further aircraft will join the fleet were not available. However, the two new Reapers plus the replacement due in theatre are part of the UK stated interest in up to 10 airframes that was notified to US Congress by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) earlier in the year.
According to DE&S’ Strategic UAV Experimental Integrated Procurement Team, which is heading up the UK’s Reaper procurement activities, the DSCA notice allows the UK to procure the aircraft in batches as required. Effectively this means that the UK has a further seven aircraft to draw on before it would have to go back through the Foreign Military Sales Process.
AM Thornton said that the Reaper was in constant demand in theatre. The RAF currently has two Reapers in Afghanistan operating from a base in Kandahar. The aircraft are flown by 39 Squadron RAF based at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada.
By Darren Lake, London
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