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The Italian Air Force has placed an additional order with US private company General Atomics for two more MQ-9A Block 5 Reaper combat unmanned aerial vehicles, the manufacturer’s press service said.
The drones are expected to be delivered to the Apennine Peninsula by the end of next year. The Block 5 aircraft ordered by Italy is capable of reaching an altitude of more than 13,700 metres and carrying a payload of around two tonnes.
It was previously reported that the US Department of Defense is gradually phasing out MQ-9 Reaper UAVs manufactured by General Atomics, with plans to replace them with cheaper strike-reconnaissance aircraft.
MQ-9 Reaper drones can cost between $30 million and $50 million, depending on their level of technical equipment and the types of weapons they are designed to carry.