PARIS, Dec. 14 (UPI) — France’s Directorate-General of Armaments placed an order for its third MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle system from General Atomics.
The French military has plans to procure four Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle systems for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions by 2019, with three vehicles allocated for each system. The first system was delivered to France in December 2013, with the second due for delivery in 2016. The most recent order is scheduled for 2019.
According to the French government, the UAVs will meet France’s need for medium-altitude, long-endurance systems.
Reapers, designed by General Atomics, are a larger, more heavily-armed follow-up to the MQ-1 Predator. The vehicles feature the Multi-Spectral Targeting System, infrared sensors, laser range finders and illuminators.
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