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Contractor-Owned MQ-9 Reaper Drones Will Watch Over Marines in Afghanistan
[TheDrive] The U.S. Navy has awarded General Atomics a contract worth more than $39.5 million to fly its own MQ-9 Reaper drones to keep watch over a U.S. Marine task force in Afghanistan, a possible plan The War Zone Was first to report on in January 2018. The deal comes as the Marines are sending personnel to train with the U.S. Air Force on operating these same drones as the former service moves ahead in developing its own large, multi-purpose unmanned aircraft.The Pentagon announced the Navy had followed through on its initial proposal in its daily contracting announcement on June 19, 2018. According to that notice, the arrangement involves work in Yuma, Arizona, home to a Marine Corps Air Station, and Poway, California, where General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. has its headquarters, as well as in Afghanistan. All of this will be in direct support of the Marine’s Task Force Southwest. This element is advising and assisting Afghan troops in the notorious Helmand province and in neighboring Nimroz province, both of which are situated along the border with Pakistan. Posted by: 3dc 2018-06-22 |
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