Friday, March 29, 2024

Poland receives MQ-9 Reaper drones

Poland has taken delivery of MQ-9A Reaper multi-mission, turboprop-powered intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) drones, according to the country’s Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak.

“MQ-9A Reaper MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) drones were delivered to Poland, leased from the USA as part of an urgent operational need,” the minister wrote on Twitter on Sunday.

He also noted that new drones will be used in the Air Force, conducting reconnaissance, among others, on the eastern border of Poland.

- ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW -

Poland has received Reaper drones as part of a lease agreement, which has a net value of $70.6 million, to enhance the nation’s ability to conduct persistent airborne ISR and support its Defense Forces.

The Reaper is employed primarily as an intelligence-collection asset.It has an endurance of over 27 hours, speeds of 240 KTAS and can operate up to 50,000 feet. It has a 3,850-pound (1,746-kilogram) payload capacity that includes 3,000 pounds (1,361 kilograms) of external stores. It provides a long-endurance, persistent surveillance capability with Full-Motion Video and Synthetic Aperture Radar/Moving Target Indicator/Maritime Radar.

As noted by the company, an extremely reliable aircraft, MQ-9A Block 5 is equipped with a fault-tolerant flight control system and triple redundant avionics system architecture. It is engineered to meet and exceed manned aircraft reliability standards.

If you would like to show your support for what we are doing, here's where to do it.

If you wish to report grammatical or factual errors within our news articles, you can let us know by using the online feedback form.

Executive Editor

About author:

Dylan Malyasov
Dylan Malyasov
Dylan Malyasov is the editor-in-chief of Defence Blog. He is a journalist, an accredited defense advisor, and a consultant. His background as a defense advisor and consultant adds a unique perspective to his journalistic endeavors, ensuring that his reporting is well-informed and authoritative. read more

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

TRENDING NOW

Ukraine uncovers secrets of Russia’s new hypersonic missile

Ukrainian analysts have unveiled the classified specs of Russia's shadowy hypersonic cruise missile, the 3M22 Zircon, intercepted by US-made missile defense systems over Kyiv,...