MQ-9B SkyGuardian Gets a New V-Tail

This post is also available in: עברית (Hebrew)

A MQ-9 Reaper, also known as the Sky Guardian, is an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of providing ongoing intelligence, collecting and tracking information autonomously, as well as acquiring targets and providing offensive support when needed.

The manufacturer of the Ripper, General Atomics (GA-AS), is now installing a V-tail on a prototype model made by GKN Aerospace, a British company. The British manufacturer of aircraft engine parts is expected to standardize the V-tail on the MQ-9 series, as well as SeaGuardian, its marine counterpart. The collaboration has lasted over a decade.

Royal Air Force, in the United Kingdom, has acquired 16 Sky Guardian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for intelligence, surveillance, targeting and reconnaissance missions (ISTAR). They will be called Protectors when they take office, according to airforce-technology.com.

There has been a report this month that the US has approved a possible deal worth $ 700 million for ballistic missile defense radar (BMDR) and a range of additional military equipment for the UK.