The Australian Ministry of Defense has decided on the choice of an unmanned aerial vehicle fleet, which it plans to purchase to equip the national air force.
According to the Australian military, the American reconnaissance-strike unmanned aerial vehicles best meet the requirements of the Department of Defense.
In the near future, the Australian government will send the United States a request for information on prices and possibilities for the supply of remote-controlled aircraft equipment such as the MQ-9 Reaper manufactured by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems.
The Australian military believes that the acquired drones will significantly increase the fire and information support capabilities of operations conducted by the Australian military, as well as improve the quality of search and rescue and humanitarian operations.
UAVs MQ-9 Reaper differ longer duration of the flight compared to small-sized counterparts. The presence of these systems allows you to make informed decisions on strikes against ground targets in conditions of lack of time.
New unmanned aerial vehicles will replace four drone Super Heron of the company Israel Aerospace Industries, which the Australian Air Force has operated since 2010 under a leasing agreement.
The start of supplying new robotic machines is possible already in 2019. The cost of a batch of at least eight units of aviation technology and two ground control stations will be 2 billion Australian dollars (1.45 billion US dollars).
The MQ-9 Reaper is designed for the US military. The first flight took place in 2001. The maximum speed of the drone does not exceed 400 km / h. Flight range is about 6000 km. The practical ceiling is not around 15 km. Airborne missiles and guided bombs are part of airborne weapons.
