Friday, April 20, 2012

Making America's Drone Fleet Even More Lethal

MQ-9 Reaper. Photo: Air Force

Upgrades to Killer Drone Could Make It Fly for 2 Days Straight -- Danger Room

The Air Force’s premier killer drone could get a lot more dangerous, if the flying branch agrees to upgrades proposed by the robot’s manufacturer. California drone-maker General Atomics has figured out ways to nearly double the flight time of the camera-, missile- and radar-equipped MQ-9 Reaper by adding fuel pods, longer wings and stronger landing gear. With all three enhancements, a Reaper’s endurance jumps from 27 hours to a whopping 42 — almost two days of continuous flying, which makes a big difference now that the Air Force is scaling back its drone buys.

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My Comment: The extra time in the air will make a huge difference, making it a far more lethal weapon system to operate.

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