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Air Force

USAF Has No Plans to Upgrade MQ-9 Reaper with Hughes HM400 Modem

Frank Wolfe

Monday, January 3rd, 2022

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USAF Has No Plans to Upgrade MQ-9 Reaper with Hughes HM400 Modem

An MQ-9B flies in the United Kingdom for the RAF100 event in 2018 (General Atomics Photo)

While Hughes is equipping United Kingdom MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones with the company's HM400 software-defined modem, the U.S. Air Force said it has no plans to undertake the upgrade for the service's MQ-9A Reapers. General Atomics builds the MQ-9B and MQ-9A, which has been the military's drone of choice in the last 15 years for reconnaissance and strikes in areas without significant air, jamming or hacking threats. The Air Force plans to undertake Diminishing Manufacturing Sources' improvements to the MQ-9A modem's…

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