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Air Force

MQ-9A Block 5 to Get New Self-Protection Pod Next Year

Frank Wolfe

Thursday, May 9th, 2024

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MQ-9A Block 5 to Get New Self-Protection Pod Next Year

US Air Force insignia on an aging jet plane.

Next year, the Block 5 Extended Range version of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) MQ-9A Reaper drone is to receive a self-protection pod developed by GA-ASI in concert with U.S. Special Operations Command, BAE Systems and Leonardo DRS. The Airborne Battlespace Awareness and Defense (ABAD) pod is for the MQ-9A Block 5 Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance Tactical (MALET) Extended Range drone in use by Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, Fla. ABAD is to detect Radio Frequency (RF)…

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