Italian Air Force Unveils the Latest MQ-9A Block 5 Drone from GA-ASI
On November 9, 2023, the Italian Air Force (ItAF) executed its inaugural flight of a novel MQ-9A Block 5 Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) manufactured by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI). This advanced RPA was handed over to the ItAF, accompanied by a new Mobile Ground Control Station (MGCS), as part of a Mid-Life Modernization (MLM) initiative aimed at upgrading the ItAF’s fleet of RPAs from GA-ASI. Both the aircraft and MGCS are components of a Foreign Military Sale.
The Block 5 RPA offers a substantial enhancement in power generation, automated takeoff and landing features with refined landing gear and datalinks, as well as the latest iteration of the GA-ASI Lynx® Multi-mode Radar.
“The Italian Air Force has consistently been at the forefront of utilizing the MQ-9 Reaper to facilitate a diverse array of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations within Italy, across the Mediterranean, and in support of NATO missions,” stated GA-ASI Vice President of International Strategic Development, Jaime Walters. “The arrival of this new Block 5 and MGCS will significantly modernize the Italian Air Force’s current fleet.”
The existing fleet of RPAs operated by the ItAF from GA-ASI includes four Block 1 units and two Block 15 MGCS units.
