General Atomics on Tuesday was awarded almost $400 million to build 36 more MQ-9 Reapers for the Air Force. The firm-fixed-price contract covers the aircraft in the Fiscal 2016 configuration, with work expected to last until August 2020, according to a Pentagon announcement. The Air Force announced in 2015 it was looking to buy 75 more Reapers to build up its remotely piloted aircraft force and address a shortfall both in manning and mission capacity. The service is standing up a new group and mission control element at Shaw AFB, S.C., along with possibly opening another operating base for an MQ-9 wing with 24 aircraft.
The Air Force Association's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies will host USAFA Superintendent Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark on an installment of its “Aerospace Nation” series. Clark will share his insights into how the Academy is preparing cadets to face today's global challenges, the implications of the creation of the…