Britain’s RAF Buying up to 10 MQ-9 Reaper UAVs
May 06, 2013 12:26 UTC by Defense Industry Daily staff
May 3/13: Brimstone for Reapers? With JAGM fielding still some way off, if ever, the USAF’s 645th Aeronautical Systems Group rapid acquisition office is reportedly interested in adding MBDA’s longer-range, dual laser/ MW radar guided Brimstone missile to the MQ-9′s arsenal. It’s main attraction is a ‘man in the loop’ feature that lets the firing aircraft abort an attack after launch, or correct a missile that locks on the wrong target. In Libya, those characteristics reportedly made it one of the few weapons NATO commanders could use to hit enemy armored vehicles in urban areas.
Brimstone already serves on RAF Tornado GR4 strike jets, and was an option for Britain’s Harrier GR9s before the entire fleet was sold to the US Marines. With Britain’s MQ-9s deployed, they’ve reportedly asked for tests using USAF MQ-9s. With the USA’s JAGM missile program stalled, Britain also hopes to interest American armed services in a longer-range and more versatile weapon. Defense News | Defense Update.
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On Jan 3/08, the US DSCA announced [PDF] the United Kingdom’s official request for:
“10 MQ-9 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) aircraft, 5 Ground Control Stations, 9 Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems (MTS-B/AAS-52), 9 AN/APY-8 Lynx Synthetic Aperture Radar/Ground Moving Target Indicator (SAR/GMTI) systems, 3 Satellite Earth Terminal Sub Stations (SETSS), 30 H764 Embedded Global Positioning System Inertial Navigation Systems, Lynx SAR and MTS-B spares, engineering support, test equipment, ground support, operational flight test support, communications equipment, technical assistance, personnel training/equipment, spare and repair parts, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $1.071 billion.”
So, what’s happening? Britain is now using its Reapers in armed mode, and is buying more UAVs within its requested order.
The MQ-9 in RAF Service
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MQ-9 Reaper UAVs are larger than their well-known MQ-1 Predator cousins, with better sensors, far more payload capacity, and the ability to carry a much wider array of weapons.
Britain decided to stand up a Reaper flight in 2007, after early experience with 3 unarmed MQ-9s in Afghanistan were positive. These aircraft form the B Flight of a new UAV squadron, while A flight will comprise the existing RAF detachment within the UK-USAF Joint (MQ-1A) Predator Task Force located at Nellis AFB, NV.
Initially, the British said they were looking at the MQ-9 only as a high-end surveillance drone to complement their mid-range Watchkeeper Mk450 UAVs and short-range Deseert Hawk and RQ-11 Raven UAVs.
That changed as the Reapers began to demonstrate how useful their array of weapons could be, and how much less expensive it was to keep air support on call by operating long-endurance UAVs, instead of less persistent fighter jets that cost GBP 7 – 10 thousand per hour to fly. American MQ-9s fired their first weapons in combat in 2007, conducting a precision Hellfire missile strike in Deh Rawod, Afghanistan, and followed that with a laser-guided bomb drop in the Sangin region.
As of May 2008, British MQ-9s have also been armed.
As of 2013, 1 of Britain’s Reapers has been lost in a crash, and has not been replaced.
Contracts & Key Events
2011 – 2013
All 10 to deploy to Afghanistan; Crash reported; GA-ASI creates British subsidiary; Brimstone missiles for RAF Reapers?; 2nd RAF squadron formed; New control center in Britain.
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May 3/13: Brimstone for Reapers? With JAGM fielding still some way off, if ever, the USAF’s 645th Aeronautical Systems Group rapid acquisition office is reportedly interested in adding MBDA’s longer-range, dual laser/ MW radar guided Brimstone missile to the MQ-9′s arsenal. It’s main attraction is a ‘man in the loop’ feature that lets the firing aircraft abort an attack after launch, or correct a missile that locks on the wrong target. In Libya, those characteristics reportedly made it one of the few weapons NATO commanders could use to hit enemy armored vehicles in urban areas.
Brimstone already serves on RAF Tornado GR4 strike jets, and was an option for Britain’s Harrier GR9s before the entire fleet was sold to the US Marines. With Britain’s MQ-9s deployed, they’ve reportedly asked for tests using USAF MQ-9s. With the USA’s JAGM missile program stalled, Britain also hopes to interest American armed services in a longer-range and more versatile weapon. Defense News | Defense Update.
Feb 13/13: Crashes. The Guardian reports the results of a freedom of Information request concerning British UAV crashes since 2007, which have cut the overall fleet in about half. Crashes include 1 of their 10 Reaper armed UAVs; 9 Hermes 450s (8 Afghanistan, 1 Iraq) over 75,000 flight hours; 412 Desert Hawk mini-UAVs over more than 30,000 missions; and 25 rotary wing RQ-16 Tarantula Hawk UAVs and Black Hornet mini-UAVs.
“Faced with a mounting bill for the crashes, and fewer UAVs to use, the MoD has admitted that it is trying “to increase airmanship standards in a number of areas” by updating training courses. But officials also insist the drones are being worked hard in difficult conditions, and breakdowns are to be expected…. Despite the high loss rate, the military believes the Desert Hawk still provides “indispensable and flexible” intelligence to UK ground forces – and value for money.”
Crash totals
Dec 20/12: Support. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. in Poway, CA receives a $42.9 million cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price contract for Phase 1 and 2 contractor logistics support to the British MQ-9 fleet.
Work will be performed at Poway, CA; Creech AFB, NV; Waddington, United Kingdom; and Afghanistan. Work is expected to be complete by March 31/15. The contracting activity is AFLCMC/WIIK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Contract involves Foreign Military Sales to the United Kingdom (FA8620-10-G-3038, 0080).
Oct 22/12: All 10 to deploy. The Guardian reports that XIII Squadron being stood up on Oct 26/12 will operate its 5 Reapers from a new control facility at RAFB Waddington. They’ll have 3 control terminals at Waddington, and all 5 UAVs will deploy to Afghanistan. The 5 Reapers already in service there will continue operation from the USAF’s Creech AFB, NV, but Britain wants to consolidate all of its MQ-9 operations to Waddington later on.
XIII Squadron’s deployment will place all 10 British Reapers in Afghanistan. The question is how many of them, if any, will remain there after 2014, when all NATO combat operations are due to end.
Sept 13/12: Support. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. in Poway, CA receives a $297 million cost plus fixed price, firm-fixed-price and time and materials contract for MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper contractor logistics support. Work will be performed in Poway, CA, and is expected to be complete by Dec 31/12. The ASC/WIIK at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH manages the contract.
The mystery revolves around who it’s for. The original Sept 10/12 release mistakenly said that the contract involved foreign military sales to Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa. The Sept 13/12 “correction” said it involved foreign military sales to the United Kingdom.
GA-ASI, who should know, says that neither of those descriptions is accurate. It finalizes a December 2011 contract to support the USAF and British RAF’s deployed MQ-1 and MQ-9 units, and includes field support representatives at remote sites. General Atomics is already 9 months into fulfilling it, and this is the revised dollar amount (FA8620-10-G-3038, 002403).
May 16/11: 2nd Squadron. RAF Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, announces that Number XIII Squadron will transfer their designation to the RAF’s 2nd Reaper squadron in 2012.
He spoke these words at the squadron’s formal disbandment, less than 2 months after its GR4 Tornados opened the war in Libya by firing Storm Shadow cruise missiles on deep strike missions. UK MoD.
March 31/11: UK subsidiary. A General Atomics Aeronautical Systems UK Ltd (GA-UK) subsidiary is established with an office in London, managed by Dr. Jonny King. Britain has received 6 MQ-9s, and will grow that fleet to 10 as the December 2010 orders arrive. GA-ASI.
2008 – 2010
Britain submits DSCA request for 10, buys 5, then eventually buys 5 more; RAF deploys & arms its Reapers; UK-French cooperation.
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Dec 7/10: Double up. Prime Minister David Cameron announces that Britain will “double” its current MQ-9 Reaper fleet, under a GBP 135 million (about $213 million) contract. That would complete its initial request for 10 UAVs. UK MoD | Flight International.
Fleet to 10?
Nov 2/10: Britain & France. The “UK-France Summit 2010 Declaration on Defence and Security Co-operation” includes a proviso regarding MALE UAVs:
“16. Unmanned Air Systems have become essential to our armed forces. We have agreed to work together on the next generation of Medium Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Air Surveillance Systems. Co-operation will enable the potential sharing of development, support and training costs, and ensure that our forces can work together. We will launch a jointly funded, competitive assessment phase in 2011, with a view to new equipment delivery between 2015 and 2020.”
As far as existing contenders go, this may weaken EADS’ Talarion even further, and probably gives BAE’s Mantis platform a boost, as BAE is reportedly in talks with Dassault.
Sept 10/10: Deployment. Britain has sent an extra MQ-9 Reaper UAV to Afghanistan:
“This latest addition to the Royal Air Force’s Reaper fleet will allow 39 Squadron to fly multiple Reaper aircraft at any one time over Afghanistan. A total of 36 hours of video surveillance can now be delivered in support of troops on the ground every day of the year, which marks an 80 per cent increase over the past 12 months. Reaper has been supporting ground forces in Afghanistan since October 2007 and has now flown over 13,000 hours in direct support of operations.”
May 19/10: Status. The UK MoD announces that The RAF’s MQ-9 Reaper program has now exceeded 10,000 hours of armed overwatch in support of UK and coalition forces in Afghanistan.
The Reapers are flown by 39 Squadron via satellite from a UK operations facility at Creech AFB, NV, USA. Its primary role is surveillance, but from May 2008 the UAVs have been armed with Hellfire missiles and laser-guided bombs. In the last 12 months alone, 39 Squadron has more than doubled its operational flying output, and more RAF MQ-9s are expected to arrive in theater in 2010. UK MoD.
Sept 5/08: Expansion. Britain’s Royal Air Force is set to expand its fleet of Reapers to 5 after Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) agreed to buy 2 more airframes from the US, and to replace the MQ-9 that crashed in April 2008. Shephard:
“According to DE&S’ Strategic UAV Experimental Integrated Procurement Team, which is heading up the UK’s Reaper procurement activities, the DSCA notice allows the UK to procure the aircraft in batches as required. Effectively this means that the UK has a further seven aircraft to draw on before it would have to go back through the Foreign Military Sales Process.”
2 more, fleet at 5
July 15/08: Support. General Atomics and Cobham plc anounce a teaming agreement with Cobham plc to cover whole life support arrangements for Britain’s “GA-ASI products.” This teaming arrangement will initially focus on supporting the UK’s existing MQ-9 Reapers currently in operation with the Royal Air Force (RAF) over Afghanistan.
The MQ-9s are currently the British military’s only significant GA-ASI products. The release says that this arrangement “will develop support solutions that could be used by the UK MoD to offer increased flexibility and sovereignty over existing arrangements.” Immediate dividends will be small, but if competitors fail to match these kinds of arrangements, it could give General Atomics an important advantage as it seeks to sell more MQ-9s to Britain and offer other products like the derivative Mariner maritime UAV or other members of its signature Predator family. GA-ASI release | Cobham release [PDF].
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July 14/08: Mantis vs. Reaper? The UK Ministry of Defence has also entered into a jointly funded 1st phase of the Mantis UAS Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrator program with BAE Systems.
The mockup unveiled at the Farnborough 2008 air show shows a UAV that’s clearly in the MQ-9 Reaper’s class, with up to 6 weapons pylons for Paveway IV laser/GPS guided bombs and Brimstone missiles. The design looks less like a high-altitude strike UAV, however, and more like the offspring of the USA’s A-10 “Warthog” battlefield support plane and Argentina’s IA 58 Pucara counter-insurgency aircraft.
BAE will work with the MoD and key UK industrial parties including Rolls-Royce (RB 250 turboprops for now), QinetiQ, GE Aviation, SELEX Galileo and Meggitt, and the design and manufacture of the twin-engine Mantis and associated ground control infrastructure are already underway. Assembly, vehicle ground testing and infrastructure integration testing will take place later in 2008, with first flight currently scheduled for early 2009. BAE release | Flight International | Defense Update | Defense News | Aviation Week | domain-B | WIRED Danger Room.
June 6/08: A British MoD article states that the UK’s Reapers have crossed the line, and become weapons platforms as well:
“An RAF Reaper Unmanned Aerial Vehicle used its weapons system in support of coalition forces in Afghanistan for the first time this week. As with any other munitions this was carried out under strict Rules of Engagement… RAF Reapers are used predominately to provide Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR)… 39 Squadron, which is the RAF’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron, was reformed in January this year and operates from Nevada in the USA as part of the USAF 432nd Wing. The Reaper aircraft are based in Afghanistan but are remotely controlled by satellite link from the USA… Although it’s an RAF Squadron, 39 Squadron is comprised of personnel from all three UK services; RAF, Royal Navy and the Army.”
Of course, to cross that line, the RAF has to own them. Looks like there was a contract. RAF 39 Squadron was reformed in January 2008, and operates from Creech AFB, NV alongside its USAF counterparts.
Hunter-Killers
March 7/08: Jane’s Defence Weekly reported that this request for Reaper UAVs has “not survived the planning round 2008 [PR08] process.” If true, there will be no contract. As subsequent reports show, there was a contract.
Jan 3/08: The US DSCA announced [PDF] the United Kingdom’s official request for up to 10 MQ-9s, at a cost of up to $1.017 billion.
The principal contractors would be General Atomics’ Aeronautical Systems (MQ-9) and Lynx Systems (Lynx ground scan radar) subsidiaries in San Diego, CA, and Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems in El Segundo, CA (MTS-B/AAS-52). If the contract goes through.
DSCA request
Additional Readings
- DID Insider – MQ-9 Reaper: The First Operational UCAV?
- Australia’s Herald-Sun (Nov 25/10) – Video footage of moment airman blasted Taliban bomb factory from Nevada
- The Sun (Nov 25/10) – Enemy bomber is turned ‘to mist’. Do fear the Reaper… includes video.
- DID (Sept 26/06) – The Major’s Email: British Harrier Support in Afghanistan, Revisited. The Major’s complaints re: close air support, and the relative performance of American A-10s in theater, raise questions about the need for an aircraft dedicated to the battlefield support niche. Could UAVs like the Reaper and/or Mantis fill that role?
