Feed the Drones: Battlespace’s UAV Maintenance Contract, 2007-2013

MQ-1, Afghanistan

General Atomics may make the USA’s Predator and Reaper drone fleets, but Battlespace Flight Services LLC in Arlington, VA has been a key provider of maintenance support for several years now, and their FY 2007 multi-year contract ended up being worth over $500 million. It actually applies to “predator MQ-1 aircraft and related systems”, which may include the Predator B (as it was known, now the MQ-9 Reaper). Both the MQ-1 and MQ-9 are explicitly within the scope of Battlespace’s 2012-2014 follow-on contract, which is worth up to $950 million.

Recent contracts appear to be the close-out and bridge to the new arrangements. Note that Battlespace is hiring, if you’ve been an MQ-1 or MQ-9 pilot or sensor operator. As for the contracts…

Rapid Fire Jan. 21, 2013: You’re Grounded!

• The US Marines’ F-35Bs are grounded because of a glitch in a fuel line used in the exhaust system.

• The US Navy and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) are investigating whether a faulty digital nautical chart might be the reason why the USS Guardian (MCM 5) minesweeper ran into reef in Philippine waters last Thursday, where it remains grounded.

• Embraer and AgustaWestland signed a Memorandum of Understanding “aiming at establishing a joint-venture which could lead to the production of AgustaWestland helicopters in Brazil to be marketed for both commercial and military use in Brazil and Latin America.” As the phrasing indicates [emphasis: DID], this is not a finalized, operating deal yet.

• Stan Collender, who knows a thing or two about the US federal budget: sequester and government shutdown more likely than fight over debt ceiling.