The Air Force's MQ-9 Reaper flew its first operational mission over Iraq recently, the service said in a statement released from Balad Air Base, north of Baghdad. The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI)-built Reaper, also known as Predator B, became operational last year. It has flown approximately 480 sorties, totaling more than 3,800 flight hours, over Afghanistan since arriving there in September 2007, according to the Air Force. The heavily armed Reaper has a maximum payload capacity of just over…
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Navy Leaders Downplay Looking At Foreign Navy Shipbuilding Amid Lawmaker Objections
The Navy’s top leaders this week seemed to downplay and back down on the service potentially using foreign shipyards to build U.S. Navy ships or buying foreign designed warships overseas […]
Senate Defense Appropriators See ‘Risk’ With Army’s Reconciliation Plan To Fund Munitions Increase
The Senate’s top defense appropriators cited concern this week with the Army’s request to fund the majority of its large increase to munitions procurement in fiscal year 2027 through the […]
Army Relooking At Its ‘Whole Aviation Transformation’ Plan, Acting Chief Tells Lawmakers
The Army is relooking at its “whole aviation transformation initiative,” the service’s acting chief of staff told lawmakers on Tuesday, to include its approach for future procurement of “enduring” platforms. […]
Lawmakers Request DoD Briefing On Army’s Planned Cuts To Aviation Procurement
A bipartisan group of House lawmakers has sent a letter asking the Pentagon for a briefing on the potential industrial base impacts as a result of the Army’s planned cuts […]