General Atomics‘ aeronautical systems business has received a $135.8 million contract to manufacture eight unmanned aircraft systems for the U.S. Marine Corps to perform intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions over a long distance.
USMC expects to receive the MQ-9A Extended Range aircraft in late 2023 and will provide the vehicles to its Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3 for use in littoral regiment training support, the Naval Air Systems Command said Wednesday.
The procurement comes as USMC plans to shift the Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii-based squadron to MQ-9A operations as part of the branch’s Force Design 2030 strategy.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. received the order under the U.S. Air Force’s potential $7.4 billion Agile Reaper Enterprise Solution acquisition vehicle.
