Software upgrade to French Reaper UAVs allows for operations over home territory
The 2408 software version allows for the implementation of new armament and communications-intelligence capabilities. The trials were carried out by the country’s military aviation expertise centre as well as the DGA Flight Test Center of Expertise and Test and were supported by the French Air and Space Force.
The test flights were accompanied by two Dassault Rafale multirole fighter jets and it is expected all French Reapers will be upgraded to the v2408 software by the end of 2023. Importantly, the upgrade will allow the aircraft to operate from and over French territory as well as train on French soil with limited constraints.
The first French Block 5 aircraft was delivered in January 2020 but remained inactive because it lacked flight clearance from the defence procurement agency DGA. It was not until March that the first flight of a Block 5 Reaper occurred, with the first operational mission being conducted in May 2021.
Related Articles
General Atomics to work on French Reapers
French Reapers prepare to add hitting power in Africa
US approves MQ-9 Reaper follow-on support sale to France
France has deployed its armed Reapers to Niger and it was reported in May last year that a Block 1 variant crashed as it was preparing to land at Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey. It was diverted away from the airport. Five years earlier another French reaper crashed in Niger after operations in Mali.
In August 2021 France’s Ministry of Armed Forces reported that a French Block 5 Reaper dropped a GBU-12 laser-guided bomb for the first time in the Sahel region as part of Operation Barkhane.
More from Air Warfare
-
Boeing wins US$178 million US Air Force contract to deliver further MH-139A helicopters
Boeing said it was on track to deliver the first Low-Rate Initial Production MH-139A helicopter to the US Air Force in mid-2024.
-
Leonardo and Textron pitch M-346N for upcoming US Navy T-45 replacement
Leonardo and Textron’s joint effort to introduce the M-346N aircraft into the US Navy’s training programme has promised to offer a proven efficient training enterprise as the T-45 replacement.
-
US Air Force Awards $13 billion Doomsday aircraft contract
The deal included engineering and manufacturing development aircraft, ground systems, production aircraft and interim contractor support until 2036.
-
Croatia receives first batch of French Rafale fighter jets
Croatia will receive a total of 12 used Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft from France by 2025.
-
Airbus could miss out as India’s air refueller saga drags on
Amid heightened demand for aerial refuelling capabilities in India, Airbus Defence faces a potential setback in securing defence contracts in the country due to escalating costs and concerns over trust.