As the Air Force attempts to rebalance its remotely piloted aircraft force structure, it continues to buy more aircraft for the booming mission. On May 20, USAF announced a $72 million contract modification award to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for eight more MQ-9 Reaper Block 5 production aircraft. Work on the extension will be performed at the company’s facility in Poway, Calif., and will be complete by December 2017. The Block 5 variant, an upgrade from the original Block 1 “Predator B,” offers greater electrical power, more gross takeoff weight, enhanced communications and payload integration, and “trailing arm” main landing gear.
The Next-Generation Air Dominance Fighter is Air Combat Command’s top priority, because without it, the Air Force can’t provide the control of the air the whole military depends on to operate, Air Combat Command chief Gen. Mark D. Kelly said. He also named a replacement for the E-3 AWACS, new…