The Air Force’s new airdrop system, now dubbed “Screamer” JPADS, is on track for more technical tests this month, followed by a technical evaluation in December. After it passes the tests, JPADS is bound for delivery to troops overseas as early as February, reports Aeronautical Systems Center. The Air Force is now calling the system Screamer JPADS because the 2,000-pound package falls at a swift 100 mph. The system was successfully tested in Afghanistan in August. Also, aircrews from Little Rock AFB, Ark., and Minneapolis-St. Paul ARS, Minn., tested the system at 17,000 feet, dropping 2,000-pound and 10,000-pound GPS-guided pallets.
The Air Force is upgrading some 70 MQ-9 Reapers to a new configuration that will keep the type capable and relevant to the near-peer fight for another 15 years. It awarded General Atomics a $272.3 million contract to enhance the Reaper's weapons, electric power, connectivity, and resistance to jamming, among…