US State Department had approved a longstanding Italian request to arm its MQ-9 Reaper UAV fleet with laser guided bombs and Hellfire su...
US State Department had approved a longstanding Italian request to arm its MQ-9 Reaper UAV fleet with laser guided bombs and Hellfire supersonic ground attack missiles.
The deal for weaponization of MQ-9s and associated equipment, parts and logistical support is estimated to cost $129.6 million.
Italy cites three reasons to arm its MQ-9 Reapers: 1) to support and enhance burden sharing in NATO and coalition operations; 2) to increase operational flexibility; and 3) to increase the survivability of Italian deployed forces..
To arm the fleet, Italy has requested 156 Lockheed Martin AGM-114R2 Hellfire II Missiles, 8 Hellfire II M36-E8 Captive Air Training Missiles (CATMs), 30 GBU-12 Laser Guided Bombs, 30 GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs), 5 Hellfire M34 Dummy Missiles, 30 GBU-49 Enhanced Laser Guided Bombs, 30 GBU-54 Laser JDAMs, 26 Bomb Racks, 6 MQ-9 weaponization kits and installation, 13 M-299 launchers.
Italy acquired 6 Reapers surveillance UAVs from 2009 and has been requesting weaponisation since 2012.
