WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has received a nearly $400 million contract to supply the US Air Force with more MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones, the Department of Defense said in a press release.
"General Atomics — Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, has been awarded a $399,979,895 firm-fixed-price contract for MQ-9 Reaper production," the release stated on Tuesday. "Contractor will produce 36 MQ-9 Reaper aircraft in the fiscal 2016 production configuration."
Reapers equipped with new GPS-maneuvered joint direct attack munition GB-38 bombs become operational for the first time earlier this month.
The Reapers are widely used by the US armed forces in strikes against suspected Daesh terrorist group targets in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
