MQ-9A "Reaper" is a turboprop-powered, multi-mission Remotely Piloted Aircraft for long-endurance, persistent surveillance and strike missions.

# General Atomics MQ-9A "Reaper" – Remotely Piloted Aircraft

Developed with GA-ASI funding and first flown in 2001, the MQ-9A "Reaper" is a turboprop-powered, multi-mission Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA). Built upon the experience of the Predator RPA, the MQ-9A represents a significant leap forward in performance and reliability.

Key Features and Capabilities

• Endurance & Performance: The standard MQ-9A offers over 27 hours of endurance and can operate at altitudes up to 50,000 feet with a speed of 240 KTAS. An Extended Range (ER) variant is also available, increasing endurance to 34 hours with field-retrofittable wing-borne fuel pods.

• Payload Capacity: It has a payload capacity of 3,850 pounds (1,746 kg), including up to 3,000 pounds (1,361 kg) of external stores. This allows it to carry a wide variety of mission payloads and weapons.

• Reliability: The MQ-9A is equipped with a fault-tolerant flight control system and triple-redundant avionics, engineered to meet and exceed manned aircraft reliability standards.

• Modular Payloads: The aircraft can be configured with various mission payloads, including Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensors, Lynx® Multi-mode Radar, maritime surveillance radar, Electronic Support Measures (ESM), and laser designators.

• Multi-Mission Capabilities: The MQ-9A provides long-endurance, persistent surveillance and strike capability for both land and sea missions, supporting customers like the U.S. Air Force, NASA, and numerous allied air forces.