The Air Force awarded General Atomics Aeronautical Systems a $43.3 million contract for retrofit kits for MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft, according to the Pentagon. The retrofit kits include new heavyweight landing gear; newer bomb rack technology for increased safety, reliability, and redundancy; and improvements for the dissemination of data collected by the aircraft’s sensors, company spokeswoman Kimberly Kasitz told Air Force Magazine. The company will provide the retrofit kits by July 2017, states the contract announcement, which is included in the Defense Department’s Jan. 6 list of major contracts. The Pentagon did not disclose the number of retrofit kits covered by the contract.
B-21 Raider First Flight Now Postponed to 2023
May 20, 2022
The Air Force says the B-21 Raider won't make its first flight until 2023; about a six-month delay from the last official estimates. No reason was given for the delay. While other programs have recently chalked up schedule slips to supply chain and labor shortages, the Air Force has said…