Preditor Program Cost and Contract Overview

RQ-1 Predator/MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned Aerial Vehicles June 2010

Program Briefing The RQ-1A Predator is the US Air Force’ss firs Force’ firstt mediu medium m endur endurance ance UA UAV V. The Predator stemmed from the earlier Tier 1 and Tier 2 Medium Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Vehicle (MAE-UAV). The Tier 1 was developed primarily primarily under CIA fundi funding, ng, and was operationally deployed for surveill surv eillance ance missi missions ons over the forme former r Yugos ugoslavia lavia in 19931993-94. 94. It used the Predat Pre dator or acq acquisi uisitio tion n in favo favorr of 20 Predators from the FY09 produc General Atomics Gnat 750 air vehiswitching switc hing entirely entirely to the MQ-9 tion batch. cle. Reaper. General Gene ral Atom Atomics ics and Lock Lockhee heed d T h e u p g ra r a d ed e d v e rs r s i on on , t h e A new version of the the Predator was Mart Martin in teame teamed d to offer a derivativ derivativee of Gnat-750-TE Predator won the announced annou nced in 2000, the Preda Predatortor-B B the Predator called the Mariner (aka DoD’s Tier 2 competition with a dewhich was first acquired by NASA Preda Predator tor B-ER) B-ER) as a conte contender nder for the the velopm vel opmentawardin entawardin Jan Januar uary y 199 1994 4 and f o r r e se s e a rc r c h p u rp r p o se s e s . I n i t s US Navy’s BAMS (Broad Area Misin 1997 was rede redesig signat nated ed as the hunter-k hunt er-kille illerr versi version on for the Air sion Surveillance) requirement but it RQ-1A Predator. The Predator was Force, it is designated as the MQ-9A los lostt to theGloba theGloball Haw Hawk k in Apr April il 200 2008. 8. first fir st dep deploy loyed ed ove overr Bos Bosniain niain thesumReaper. The Air Force has been ac- Ita Italy ly bec becamethe amethe fir first st exp export ort cus custom tomer er mer of 1995. The US Air Force asquirin qui ring g the MQ-9 MQ-9A A alo alongsi ngside de the for Predator. Britain began steps to sumed operational operational control of the MQ-1A Predator but in 2009 decided lease or borrow Predators for operaPredator on 2 September 1996. The to shi shift ft ent entire irely ly to the rea reaper per.. Pro Procur curee- ti tion onss in Ir Iraq aq in ea earl rly y 20 2004 04 an and d in 20 2006 06 armed arm ed ver versio sion n of theRQ-1 Pre Predat dator or is ment through FY10 has been 91 air ordered two air vehicles, followed by design des ignate ated d as theMQ-1BPreda theMQ-1BPredatorA torA vehicles. an or orde derr fo forr th thee RQ RQ-9 -9 Re Reap aper er in 20 2007 07.. The arm armed ed for forces ces reac reached hed fin final al The US Army awarded a contract The Predator-B version was selected agreement on the system’s system’s joint operin May 2003 for three IGNAT UAVs by NASA’s Earth Science Enterprise ational requirements document in the based on the Predator to help define for research applications as the Altair summer sum mer of 199 1997, 7, and Pre Predat dator or beits UAV UAV requ requirem irements ents for a divi divi-- and first flew in June 2003; it is the came the first ACTD program to be sional sio nal/co /corps rps lev level el UA UAV V cal called led the Ex- fir first st civ civil il UA UAV V to win an FAA air airwor wor-approved for procurement in August tended tend ed Range Mult Multipur ipurpose pose UA UAV V thin thiness ess certi certifica ficate te which facil facilitat itates es its 1997. The firs firstt seri series es produ productio ction n con(ERMP). (ERMP ). A Preda Predator tor deri derivati vative ve call called ed use in nat nation ional al air airspa space. ce. The Pre Predat dator or tract for two GCS and 8 air vehicles MQ-1C Sky Warrior won the Army is also used by the Border Patrol with was awarded to General Atomics on ERMP competition against a deriva- fiv fivee in service service in 2009. Gene General ral 20 August 1997. The US Air Force tivee of the Isr tiv Israel aelii Her Heron on called called Hun Hunter ter Atomi Atomics cs has deve developed loped a jetjet-power powered ed had a requirement for 12 systems and II in 200 2005. 5. The Arm Army y pla plans ns to acq acquir uiree deri derivati vative ve of the Pred Predator ator,, call called ed 101 air vehicles, but this number has abou ab outt 10 sy syst stem ems, s, ea each ch wi with th 12 air air ve ve-- Avenger, for the USAF MQ-X Next steadil ste adily y inc increas reased ed and tot totaled aled 320 hicl hi cles es fo forr a to tota tall of ab abou outt 13 132 2 ai airr ve vehi hi-- Generation UAS program and a through thro ugh FY10. General Atomics decles. In May 2008, the USAF and navalized version called Sea Avenger Avenger livered its 100th Predator on on 5 FebruArmy Ar my be bega gan n pl plan anni ning ng to ad adop optt a co comm- for the US Navy UCLASS requireary 2004. In 2007, the Air force mon version of the Predator based on ment. reported repo rted it had lost lost about 49 of of 90 opthe Army MQ-1 MQ-1C. C. Howev However er,, with eration Predators due to combat and USAF Preda Predator tor acqui acquisiti sition on comin coming g to accidents. In 2009, the Air Force an an end, this may be limited to the last nounced noun ced plan planss to term terminat inatee MQ-1

Executive Big Safari Program Office Aeronautical Systems Center Air Force Materiel Command Wright Patterson AFB, OH (The Tier 1 element of this program was managed by the Central Intelligence Agency.)

©Teal Group Corporation

World Missiles & UAVs Briefing

June 2010

RQ-1 Predat Predator/MQ-9 or/MQ-9 Reaper

Page 2

Manufacturer General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Div. PO Box 85608 San Diego, CA 92186-9784 tel: (619) 455-4649

Variants RQ-1A Predator—Thi Predator—Thiss is the designation nati on for the basel baseline ine syst system, em, incl includuding the RQ-1 RQ-1K K air vehicle. vehicle. DERF funding from FY02 is being used to reconfigure all RQ-1A systems into the MQ-1B configuration.

d at a t a r at a t e T ac a c ti t i ca c a l C om o m mo mo n Data-Link, lacks the automatic landing system and some other features.

MQ-1C MQ1C War Warrio riorr Block 1—T 1—This his is the baselineArmy basel ineArmy ver versio sion n of thePreda thePredator tor and fir first st fle flew w in Dec Decemb ember er 200 2007. 7. Thi Thiss Predat dator or var varian iantt forthe Arm Army y use usess the RQ-1B RQ1B Pre Predat dator— or—Thi Thiss is the Blo Block ck 1 Pre systemusing sys temusing the imp improv roved ed RQRQ-1L 1L air AAI “One System” as its GCS. Each system sys tem inc includ ludes es 12 air veh vehicl icles, es, 5 vehicle. GCS and associated equipment. MQ-1B MQ-1 B Pred Predator ator—Thi —Thiss is the upRQ-1K 1K Blo Block ck 5 Pre Predat dator— or—Thi Thiss is the graded RQ-1B system which enables RQthe air vehicle to employ the Hellfire baseline version of the UAV used in the reconnaissance role. missile. MQ-1C War MQ-1C Warrio riorr Block 0—T 0—This his is the Army version of the Predator, Predator, intr introoduce du ced d as a st stop op ga gap p in 20 2007 07 be befo fore re th thee baseline Block 1 was available. It has many ma ny of the same featur features es as the Block 1, but uses the USAF/General Atomic Ato micss GCS rather rather tha than n the AAI One System System GCS GCS,, use usess a C-b C-band and data-lin data -link k inst instead ead of the faster high

which remained in production through 2003 when the FY02 aircraft shifted shif ted to Bloc Block k 10 conf configur igurati ation. on. The Bloc Block k 20 conf configur igurati ation on int intro ro-duces wingtip extensions extensions for bette better r hot/high operations. MQ-9A Reaper Spiral 0—Formerly Predator-B, this is the enlarged version si on of th thee UAV an and d th thee ba base seli line ne ve verrsion of the new type. MQ-9A Rea MQ-9A ReaperSpira perSpirall 1—T 1—Thisis hisis ver ver-sion integ integrates rates the Hellf Hellfire ire missi missile le system on the platform.

MQ-1L Predator Predator Block 10— This is MQ-9A Reaper Spiral 2—This is the the upgraded version of the RQ-1K improved version with higher gross Block 5 modified to carry and launch weight weight,, redundan redundantt fligh flightt avioni avionics, cs, t he h e H el e l lf lf ir i r e m is is si s i le le i n t he h e digi digitall tally y contr controlle olled d engin engine, e, senso sensor r stores es manag management ement computer, hunter-killer role. This was officially and stor accepted for service use in February MIL MIL-STD -STD-176 -1760 0 data bus and im2005 several years after having actu- proved human-machine interface. ally gone into action. The initial production standard was called Block 5

Subsystems Launch System Launcher The GnatGnat-750 750 uses conve convention ntional al aircraft airc raft-sty -style le launc launch h and landi landing. ng. Launch Launc h uses a conve convention ntional al under undercarcarriage. Up to 1997, the Predator had a mean time between crashes of 1,500 to 1,700 flight hours. A study conducted in 1996 by Sierra Nevada Corp. concluded that the

Predator could be integrated into the UAV Common Automatic Recovery System (U-CARS). General Atomic completed a three year study of the electro-magnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) (EMALS) for pot potent ential ial use to launch the Predator from aircraft carriers.

The Predator/reaper takes off and lands from a runway like a conventional aircraft. A Predator system includess one Groun clude Ground d Contr Control ol Sta Station tion (GCS), (GC S), fou fourr air vehicles, vehicles, a Tr Troja ojan n Spritt II comm Spri communic unicati ations ons suit suitee and 635 personnel.

Electronics Sensors The Tier 1 Gnat-750 is remotely pilote piloted d with seve several ral opti options. ons. The UAV can be preprogrammed for autonomous operations, and can incor incor porate a GPS/INS option for improved accuracy. The datalink for

June 2010

flight control is a C-band, frequency GEC-Marconi on the basis of a $1.4 selectable selec table system with an optio optional nal mil millio lion n US Arm Army y con contra tract. ct. The Arm Army y digital video channel. The data link as part of the Joint Precision Strike antenna on the Tier 1 was located in a program first successfully tested this tear-drop-shaped pod over the fuse- system during a one-hour demonstrademonstral a g e , d e v e l o p e d b y a t e a m o f tion on 2 December 1993. The data Questech, Quest ech, Gener General al Atom Atomics ics and was passed, via a manned relay air-



RQ-1 Predator/MQ-9 Reaper

Page 3

craft, from the El Mirage, CA test site to thePentagon. Theuplink antenna is housed in a dorsal pod. This served as the basis for the system on the Tier 2. During operations over Yugoslavia in 1994, the CIA used a RG-8 two-man powered glider as a data relay station when the UAV was beyond line of sight. The Predator B uses a C-band antenna for line-of-sight connections to the ground control station and a K u -b a n d s a te l li t e u p l in k f o r over-the-horizon control, and L-3 C om mu ni ca ti on s o f R an ch o Bernardo is the supplier of the RQ-1W PPSL (Predator Primary Satellite Link). EMS Technologies provides the Ku-band CDL switch network. The RQ-1A Predator Tactical Endurance UAV system includes EO IR and GFP-SAR sensor capabilities and UHF and GFPKu-band satellitecommunications. The Predator employs a Litton inertial navigation/GPS system for guidance. The Predator has a sensor payload of 450 lb. The Skyball electro-optical payload includes a 14TS imaging infrared camera and d a y l ig h t c a m e r a p r o v i de d b y Versatron/Wescam. The four of the original MQ-1B Predator hunter-killers were fitted with the AN/AAS-44 “Kosovo Ball”, an E/O sensor package with integral laser rangefinder in June 1999. Although some consideration was given to fitting the remainder of the RQ-1 fleet with this, instead, theplan was to use the Raytheon AN/AAS-52 multi-spectral targeting system (MTS-A) on all MQ-1B Predators, and Raytheon has also developed the improved MTS-B The initial Westinghouse synthetic aperture radar (SAR) was not fitted until 1995; it is nose mounted and is stabilizedin two axes. ThisSAR has a 10 to 50 degree field of view in elevation and150 degrees in azimuth;it has a 1-foot resolution and covers an 8,000-foot swath of terrain from an altitude of 25,000 feet. The US Army Night Vision Lab was handling management of the SAR sensor. It was


first deployed during Bosnia opera- use on the U-2C aircraft and RQ-4 tions in March 1996. Global hawk UAV. Due to data incompatibilities, the The MQ-9A Reaper is fitted with SAR data was transmitted through a the AN/APY-8 Lynx SAR/GMTI syscommercial Unisys Ku-band satellite tem. The MQ-1C Sky Warrior was link and a Magnavox UHF satellite originally planned to be fittedwith the link. The new fuselage configuration Lynx II, but in April 2008, the Army permits a 30-inch satellite communi- d e c i d e d t o a d o p t t h e N o r t h r o p cations antenna to be fit inside the fuGrumman Starlite SAR/GMTI inselage. The data link for the system stead of theGeneral Atomics LynxII. had been sole-sourced to Unisys. The In 1996, the Air Force began efair vehicle is also fitted with a forts to develop a hyperspectral imagline-of-sightdownlink with a range of ing system for foliage penetration. about 100 miles. Data dissemination for the PredaIn 2002, the Air Force funded the tor is handled by the Trojan Spirit III Little Weasel ELINT payload for the dissemination system, with one sysPredator which consists of a F-16 temper unit. Boeingsuppliesthe Data Harm Targeting System (HTS) which Exploitation, Mission Planning, and will link with Rivet Joint aircraft and Communications (DEMPC) workstaF-16 Block 50 fighters used in the tion. In 2003, Boeing and General SEAD role to improve the collection Atomics began work on a system to of data on enemy SAMs. link the Predator to the E-3 AWACS T h e R Q -1 A s y s te m u se s a and AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. Northrop/Grumman AN/ZPQ-1 General Atomics is also examining TESAR tactical endurance synthetic control of the Predator from the P-3 aperture radar. The TESAR operates Orion. in the Ku-band with a swath width of In early 2009, the USAF an800m, a resolution of 0.3m, a range of nounced plans to fit the MQ-9 Reaper 4 to 11 km, and an MTBF of 700 with the Sierra Nevada Gorgon Stare, hours. A total of 27 ZPQ-1 were an electro-optical device which perfunded in FY98 and 24 in FY99 with mits the air vehicle to observe 12 difall but 6 supplied prior to 1 October ferent scenes simultaneously 2001. In January 2006, it was reFlight Control ported that the USAF was removing The Tier 1 system employs a GentheTESAR from theMQ-1LPredator eral Atomics ground control station A UAVs armed with the Hellfire. mounted in an S280 shelter. The sysT he r ec en t s ys te ms u se d tem employs a C-band tracking anLockheed/Martin wide band satellite tenna. In its initial configuration, the link (originally Loral CommunicaGnat-750 depends on a data relay airtion Systems of Salt Lake City). craft once the UAV is beyond the To autonomously launch and desrange of the ground station. ignate the semi-active laser guided The baseline system uses a Hellfire missile, the Predator is fitted GA-ASI RQ-1P common ground with a laser target designator (LTD) control station manufactured by Genmanufactured by Raytheon, Ft. eral Atomics, with an intelligence Worth, TX. The first four add-on sysworkstation (DEMPC) provided by tems were funded out of the FY99 Boeing. To provide non-line of sight budget, and at a later date, the LTD control, the first three Predator sys became integral with the UAV. tems employed the AN/TSQ-190(V) The Predator has been tested with Trojan Spirit II SATCOM link, and in a classified SIGINT package, code this configuration were designated as named Bat Fish. In 2008, the Air RQ-1U. The upgraded Block 1 sysF o rc e s e le c te d t h e N o rt h ro p tem is the RQ-1Q. The common Grumman ASIP-1C (Airborne Sigground station demonstrated the canals Intelligence Payload) for the pability to control two air vehicles siMQ-1 Predator which is already in


June 2010

RQ-1 Predator/MQ-9 Reaper multaneously during a demonstration The Army’s MQ-1C Predator is in July 1998. There are two configu- designed to ne operated with the AAI rations of the GCS, deployable and One System GCS though the first fixed-site. The Trojan Spirit satellite “Block 0” aircraft use the USAF link was replaced by the L-3 Commu- GCS. The ERMP One System is denications RQ-1W PPSL (Predator signed with an automatictake-off and Primary SatelliteLink). The Block 20 landing feature that was first tested in GCS is designated as MD-1A, while October 2008. the LRCS (Launch and Recovery In FY99, the Congress provided Control Station) is the MD-1B. The supplemental mod funding to equip MD-1C is the CDCS Containerized five Predators with the UAV AutoDual Control System and the MD-1D matic Recovery System (UCARS). is the Multi-Aircraft Control Station. Work has also been undertaken on In July 2007, General Atomics dem- a Tactical Control System (TCS), a onstrated the next-generation Ad- small forward deployed control stav an ce d C oc kp it G CS w ith tion designed to interface with Predadevelopment to be completedin 2009 tor, Pioneer and other UAVs and to In 2008, the Air Force plans to test provide the forward commander with a prototype optical sense-and-avoid immediate video output. This system system on the Predator with an aim to has become a bone of contention befield an operational suite by 2009. tween the Air Force and the Army, the

Page 4

Army favoring it, the Air Force op posing its interference with the GCS. In June 1997, the NSWC awarded Battlespace Inc. a sole-source contract for engineering services in sup port of the TCS. A TCS was successfully tested with the Predator at San Clemente Island in January 1998. General Atomics has designed a variety of optional GCS configurations, including a Portable Ground Control Station (PGCS) and a High Mobility GCS (HMGCS) which mounts two PGCS in a HMMWV S-788 shelter. The US Army Warrior uses the AAI “One System” developed for the RQ-7 Shadow tactical UAV.

Propulsion The Gnat-750 Tier1 ispowered by Rotax 914 105-hp turbocharged ena 65-hp Rotax 586 piston engine, gine. powering a conventional pusher proGeneral Atomics is also develop peller. The constant speed, reversible ing another optional powerplant, a pitch, folding propeller is made of heavy fuel engine using diesel techcarbon or Kevlar composites. The nology to enable the engine to burn 120-hp KH800T, a horizontally op- JP-5 and diesel fuel instead of gaso posed, liquid-cooled, four cylinder, line. The engine entered prototype four-stroke, turbocharged and af- testing in 1985 with a demonstrated ter-cooled piston engine is an option, power of50 hp. Power increases to75 and was the type planned for the Tier hp are expected with design matura2 Predator, however, it was actually tion and normal aspiration, and 150 fitted with a Rotax 912 85-hp engine. hp is expected to be possible by addStarting in 1998, the air vehicles use a ing a turbocharger. However, in

1997-98, attentionshiftedto a 3 cylinder opposed piston 150-hp design based on a WW2 German Jumo design. The MQ-9A Predator B is powered by a Honeywell TPE331-10T turboprop engine though the Predator B002 prototype was scheduled to demonstrate a Williams FJ44-2A tur bofan. The Army’s Warrior A is powered by a Thielart multi-fuel Centurion 135 hp engine.

Warhead The MQ-1B can carry up to four AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. The MQ-9A Predator B has four weapons stations, the inner stations capable of carrying 500-600lb weapons, and the outer stations having a lesser capacity. Preliminary work at the carry and launch of BAT (Viper Strike) guided submunitions was conducted in 2002, and other munitions that are expected to be tested include the JDAM GPS-guided bomb, the SDB bomb, and the LOCAAS PGM. Tests in

June 2010

2005 included the BLU-108 Sensor be fitted with various sensors such as Fuzed Weapon, and theCLAW (clean a hyper-spectral sensor for atmolightweight area weapon), a deriva- spheric testing that could be used for tive of the BLU-108. Other weapons chemical weapons detection. Predathat have been acquired include the tor has also served as the test-bed for Raytheon Griffin and Lockheed Mar- the Raytheon Silent Eyes, a parasite tin Scorpion small guided missiles. UAV dropped from the host UAV to The MQ-1 has also been fitted conduct reconnaissance missions at with the Stinger air defense missile lower altitudes when cloud cover obfor self-defense. scures the target or when more posiIn 2002, the Predator was tested tive target identification is required with the Naval Research Laboratory before prosecuting an attack. Finder, a 57 lb parasite UAV that can




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Specifications Length: Wingspan: Empty weight: Payload (nose/wing): Gross take-off weight: Max. level speed: Endurance: Max. altitude: Max. radius:

Gnat-750 (Tier 1) 16.4 ft (five m) 35.3 ft (10.7 m) 441 lb (200 kg) 132/330 lb (60/150 kg) 1140 lb (518 kg) 140 knots (255 km/h) 48 hours 25,000 ft (7,600 m) 1,740 mi (2,800 km)

RQ-1 Predator 26.6 ft (8.1 m) 41.6 ft (12.6 m) n/a 500 lb (225 kg) 2,300 lb (1,040kg) 140 knots (255 km/h) 40 hours 25,000 ft (7,600 m) 500 mi + (800 km +)

MQ-9 Predator B 36 ft (10.9m) 66 ft (20.1m) n/a

6,400 lb (2,900 kg) 210 knots (380 km/h) 24 hours 45,000 ft (13,700 m)

Contract Briefs The following is a listing of contract announcements made by the Pentagon involving the award of, or Date

Contract Number

modification to, unclassified prime contracts with a base value of $5 mil-

Agency

Obligation

lion or more since the beginning of FY00 (10/1/99).

Details

BAE Systems, Advanced Information Technologies 6/28/2005 F33615-02-C-1149

AFRL

$3,258,025

Increment as part of a $5,425,036 CPFF contract to provide a multi-sensor, multi-look exploitation system designed to provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance for the Predator UAV.

$11,501,250

FFP and CPAF contract for organizational maintenance support for the Predator MQ-1 aircraft andrelated systems at Creech AFB and deployed sites worldwide.

Battlespace Flight Services 3/7/2007

FA4890-07-C-0006

ACC

General Atomics, Aeronautical Systems - Aircraft Systems Group 12/16/1999 F33657-99-C-3045

ASC

$49,353,203

Modification to a FPIF contract to provide for 12 Predator unmanned aerial reconnaissance vehicles, six ice protection kits, ground control equipment, and associated spares.

6/30/2000 F33657-00-C-4010

ASC

$5,337,583

CPFF contract to provide for contractor logistics support from July through September2000 forthe Predatorunmannedaerial reconnaissance vehicles.

2/22/2001 F33657-00-C-4010

ASC

$6,107,916

Modification to a CPAF contract to provide for contractor logistics support from March through June 2001 for the Predator unmanned aerial reconnaissance vehicles.

3/20/2001 F33657-00-C-4040

ASC

$19,837,034

Increment aspartof a $30,100,096 FFP contract for seven Predator unmanned aerial reconnaissance vehicles.

6/27/2001 F33657-00-C-4010

ASC

$2,250,769

Increment as part of a $16,016,421 modification to a CPFF contract to provide for 12 Predator unmanned aerial reconnaissance vehicles.

9/6/2001

F33657-98-G-3110

ASC

$11,178,404

CPFF contract to provide for retrofit of five ground control stations supporting the Predator unmanned aerial reconnaissance vehicle.

12/28/2001 F33657-01-C-5063

ASC

$8,151,708

CPFF contract for contractor logistics support from Jan. 1, 2002, through March 30, 2002, for the Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System.

12/4/2002 F33657-00-C-4040

ASC

$21,614,280

Increment as part of a $28,819,040 FFP contract to provide 12 MQ-1 Block 10 Predator Aircraft.

7/22/2003 F33657-03-C-3003

ASC

$5,113,819

Modification contract to provide CONUS field support, depot supply support, program management, configuration management, Nellis Flight Operations support, and reach back support.

8/20/2003 F33657-03-C-3018

ASC

$41,345,710

FFP contract to provide for 19 MQ-1L Predator unmanned aerial vehicles.



June 2010


Page 6

3/29/2004 F33657-02-G-4035

ASC

$5,555,125

Increment as part of a $17,011,750 CPFF contract to provide for the development of specifications to produce and weaponize the MQ-9A Predator unmanned air vehicle.

4/9/2004

F33657-03-C-3018

ASC

$9,124,893

FFP contract for readiness spares, consisting of consumables, support equipment, and line replaceable units, in support of the MQ-1L Predator unmanned aerial vehicle.

7/1/2004

FA8620-04-C-4005

ASC

$26,427,245

FFP contract to provide for seven each MQ-IL Predator Unmanned Air Vehicles, six Ground Data Terminals, and twelve Ruggedized Air Maintenance Test Stations.

7/6/2004

F33657-02-G-4035

ASC

$27,705,374

Increment as part of a $36,940,499 FPIF contract to provide for four MQ-9A Air Vehicles.

10/1/2004 FA8620-04-C-4005

ASC

$5,558,748

11/15/2004 FA8620-04-C-4005

ASC

$22,001,140

FFP contract to provide for 7 each MQ-1L Predator Remotely Piloted Aircraft and 14 each Ruggedized Aircraft Maintenance Test Stations.

11/19/2004 F33657-02-G-4035

ASC

$7,206,740

Increment as part of a $14,413,480 CPFF contract to provide Predator MQ-IL Block 10+ Retrofit Phase 1-Non-recurring engineering to define all necessary kit hardware.

2/10/2005 FA4890-05-C-0001

ACC

$8,285,431

CPFF contract to provide services necessary to perform Predator Organizational Maintenance for aircraft, Ground Control Stations, and Predator Primary Satellite Links.

3/30/2005 F33657-02-G-4035

ASC

$15,610,000

Increment as part of a $68,205,573 CPIF contract provide for the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) of the MQ-9 Hunter-Killer Aircraft.

3/31/2005 FA8620-04-C-4005

ASC

$20,082,837

FFP contract to provide for additional Readiness Spares Package Kits for the Predator Program.

3/31/2005 FA8620-05-C-3000

ASC

$9,992,967

CPFF contract to provide for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) Predator Spares and Quick Reaction Repair and Return Support for Two Additional OEF Predator Orbits.

6/1/2005

FA8620-04-C-4005

ASC

$5,322,582

Increment aspart ofa $7,096,776modification contractto provide for Predator Initial Spares for seven MQ-1 Aircraft.

6/3/2005

F33657-02-G-4035

ASC

$14,636,236

Increment as part of a $19,514,981 modification contract to provide for the Development and Production efforts for the Predator dual control mobile ground control station and enhancement mod kits.

6/21/2005 FA8620-04-C-4005

ASC

$54,551,742

Increment as part of a $72,735,659 FFP contract to exercise an option of Predator requirements including acceleration of the delivery of 17 aircraft, produce 15 MQ-1L Block 10 aircraft, and Support Equipment.

6/22/2005 F33657-02-G-4035

ASC

$23,121,898

Increment as part of a $30,829,202 CPFF contract to provide Predator Ground Control Stations including two fixed facility GCSs; one Dual Control; 19 Enhancement Mod Kits; and two Multi-Aircraft Controls.

7/15/2005 FA8620-05-C-3000

ASC

$20,769,160

CPFF contract to exercise an option of Contractor Logistics Support for the Predator System for five months.

8/8/2005

AMCOM

$214,409,789

CPIF contract for research, development, test and evaluation of the Extended Range Multi-Purpose Unmanned Aerial Vehicle system.

W58RGZ-05-C-0069

FFP contract to provide for three MQ-9A Air Vehicles.

1/25/2006 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$41,403,571

FPIF contract for the manufacture, test, and deliveryof five Predator B MQ-9 UAVs and associated equipment to include Initial Spares, and Ground Support Equipment.

3/3/2006

AMCOM

$67,000,000

Increment aspart ofa $214,321,143 CPIFcontractfor SystemDevelopment and Demonstration for the Extended Range/ Multi-Purpose Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.

ASC

$27,127,089

CPFF contract for periodic depot maintenance for the Predator MQ-1 and MQ-9 unmanned aircraft system program.

W58RGZ-05-C-0069

3/13/2006 FA8620-05-G-3028

June 2010




Page 7

3/15/2006 FA4890-05-C-0001

ACC

$30,136,635

CPFF contract to provide services necessary to perform Predator organizational maintenance of aircraft, Ground Control Stations, and Predator Primary Satellite Links.

6/15/2006 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$25,151,451

CPFF term contract to support the Predator MQ-1 and MQ-9 unmanned aircraft system program.

6/21/2006 DAAH01-03-C-0124

AMCOM

$21,094,500

Modification to a CPFF contract forthe improved unmanned aerial vehicles and associated support equipment and initial spares.

6/29/2006 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$14,881,292

CPFF contract to exercise an option which includes the Predator MQ-1 Unmanned Aircraft System Outside Continental United States program.

6/30/2006 F33657-02-G-4035

ASC

$5,210,170

CPFF contract for the retrofit of five MQ-9 Predator aircraft, with upgraded landing gear for increased landing capacity, and Hellfire/EGBU-12/Special Project A Payloads.

8/4/2006

NAWC

$8,294,000

CPFF contract for the procurement of one Predator B aircraft for use in demonstration and operations, including ground support equipment, spares kit and system integration.

N00421-06-C-0024

8/22/2006 W58RGZ-06-C-0208

AMCOM

$11,466,000

Aspart of an estimated$23,400,000CPFFcontractto acquire four extended range multi-purpose unmanned aerial vehicles, the associated support equipment and initial spare parts.

9/22/2006 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$20,673,841

Increment as part of a $27,565,122 CPFF contract for 5 MD-1B dual control mobile ground control stations, and non-recurring engineering per FY 06 Predator MQ-1 and Reaper MQ-9 requirements.

9/22/2006 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$38,363,450

Increment aspartof a $49,587,121 FFP contract for 7 MQ-1Block 15 aircraft and the necessary non-recurring engineering to productionize the block 15 configuration.

9/22/2006 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$11,846,649

Increment aspart ofa $15,795,532 FFP contract for 1 groundsupport equipment, 1 initial spares package and 2 primary predator sitcom link modem assembly per FY06 Predator MQ-1 and Reaper MQ-9 requirements.

11/7/2006 W58RGZ-05-C-0069

AMCOM

$20,000,000

Increment as part of a $215,373,106 CPIF contract for system development and demonstration for the extended range / multi-purpose unmanned aerial vehicle.

12/18/2006 W58RGZ-05-C-0069

AMCOM

$63,168,556

Increment as part of a $215,373,106 CPIF contract for system development anddemonstration forthe Extended Range / Multi-Purpose Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.

12/18/2006 DAAH01-03-C-0124

AMCOM

$13,807,439

Modification to a CPFF contract for contractor logistics support in support of IGNAT Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operations.

12/29/2006 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$38,099,885

Increment as part of a $42,666,206 CPFF term contract for CAMS/REMIS/CEMS data collection/entry and numbered Periodic Depot Maintenance (PDM) for the Predator MQ-1 and MQ-9 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) program.

1/30/2007 DAAH01-03-C-0124

AMCOM

$20,748,347

Modification to a CPFF contract for contractor logistics support for IGNAT Unmanned Aerial Vehicle operations.

2/9/2007

AMCOM

$11,679,000

Modification to a CPFF contract for acquisition of four Extended RangeMulti-Purpose Block 0, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, associated support equipment, and initial spares.

3/13/2007 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$32,747,250

Increment as part of a $43,663,000 FFP contract for the manufacture, test and delivery of two Predator B MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicles, two mobile ground control stations, and associated equipment.

4/5/2007

W58RGZ-06-C-0208

AMCOM

$5,264,342

Modification to a CPFF contract for Extended Range Multi-Purpose Block 0, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

5/7/2007

FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$10,135,251

CPFFcontract toprovidea seriesof requiredtasks todesign,fabricate, integrate, and test the Predator MQ-1B Block X aircraft which will utilize a Heavy Full Engine (HFE).

W58RGZ-06-C-0208



June 2010

RQ-1 Predator/MQ-9 Reaper 5/7/2007

Page 8

FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$58,976,370

FFP contract for the manufacture, test and delivery of four PredatorB ReaperMQ-9UAVs andassociated equipmentto include initial spares and ground support equipment.

6/22/2007 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$69,407,519

CPFF contract for Predator/Reaper contractor logistics support to include all program management, urgent repairs and services, logistics support and configuration management.

6/22/2007 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$43,983,622

FFP contract for the manufacture, test and delivery of four PredatorB ReaperMQ-9UAVsand associated equipmentto include Initial Spares and Ground Support Equipment.

6/28/2007 W58RGZ-05-C-0069

AMCOM

$14,665,000

Increment as part of a $215,373,106 CPIF contract for system development anddemonstration forthe Extended Range / Multi-Pur pose Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.

8/6/2007

ASC

$7,307,964

CPFFcontract toprovidetwoPre-Production YMQ-1CBlockX air craft.

8/14/2007 W58RGZ-05-C-0069

AMCOM

$5,149,479

Increment as part of a $215,373,106 CPIF contract for system development and demonstration for the Extended Range/Multi-Purpose Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.

8/31/2007 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$40,592,440

Increment as part of a $54,123,254 FFP contract for the manufacture, test, and delivery of six (6) Predator B MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV).

8/31/2007 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$64,955,733

FFP contract for various MQ-9 Reaper equipment and items including Aircraft Initial Spares, 30 Day Pack-up Kits, and Ground Support Equipment.

9/7/2007

ASC

$94,341,404

FFP contractfor 36Predator MQ-1B Aircraft, Aircraft Spares, RSP kits, Hellfire Missile Kit Installation, IM’s and core tasks.

9/14/2007 DAAH01-03-C-0124

AMCOM

$11,306,274

Modification to a CPIF contract for contractor logistics support for the IGNAT Warrior Alpha unmanned aerial system.

9/19/2007 W58RGZ-07-C-0107

AMCOM

$5,181,995

CPIF contract for low rate initial production effort for the extended range/multi-purpose unmanned aerial system.

9/19/2007 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$6,089,382

CPFF contract for Target Location Accuracy (TLA) Phase I, MQ-1 Predator Predator/MQ-9.

9/25/2007 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$33,672,337

Increment as part of a $45,503,158 modification contract for 10 Predator MQ-1BAircraft, Aircraft Spares, RSPkits, Hellfire Missile Kit Installation, IMA’s and core tasks.

10/1/2007 FA4890-07-C-0009

ACC

$21,914,173

Modification contract for organizational maintenance support for the Predator MQ-9 remotely piloted aircraft systems at Creech AFB, NV, and deployed sites worldwide.

10/1/2007 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$15,180,780

contract for retrofit 20 Predator block 5 to block 15; retrofit 1 block 10 to 15.

10/18/2007 W58RGZ-05-C-0069

AMCOM

$20,828,590

Increment as part of a $231,154,861 CPIF contract for system development anddemonstration forthe Extended Range / Multi-Purpose Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Including Integrationof the Hellfire Missile.

12/21/2007 FA8620-05-G-3028

AFMC

$50,281,284

Increment as part of a $67,041,712 contract for Periodic Depot Maintenancefor the Predator/ReaperMQ-1 and MQ-9Unmanned Aircraft Systems program.

12/21/2007 F8620-05-G-3028

AFMC

$15,901,687

Modification contract for advanced cockpit one production effort includes production and integration of Linux hardware for Predator/Reaper ground control stations.

1/16/2008 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$12,142,832

Increment as part of a $16,190,443 FFP contract for manufacture, test, anddeliveryof oneMQ-9 ReaperWeaponized Aircraft, along with containers, a 30-day pack-up kit and initial spares.

2/20/2008 F33657-02-G-4035

AESS

$0

Increment as part of a $6,094,533 CPIF contract to enhance the Maintenance Level Technical Orders, which are a part of the system development and demonstration of the MQ-9 Reaper.

June 2010

FA8620-05-G-3028

FA8620-05-G-3028




Page 9

2/28/2008 W58RGZ-05-C-0069

AMCOM

$18,666,000

CPIF contract for incremental funding for system development and demonstration for the extended range/multi-purpose unmanned aerial vehicle.

2/28/2008 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$7,804,672

Increment as part of a $17,202,335 contract for non-recurring engineering development for the Advanced Cockpit Increment Two for Predator/Reaper Ground Control Station.

3/31/2008 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$49,870,416

FFP contract for 24PredatorMQ-1B Aircraft, Hellfire missile kit installation, IMAs, and core tasks.

3/31/2008 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$28,947,434

FFP contract for the manufacture, test, and deliveryof four Predator B Reaper MQ-9 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

4/30/2008 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$163,082,588

Increment as part of a $177,082,588 CPFT contract for support of the Predator/Reaper MQ-1 and MQ-9 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) programs.

5/19/2008 W58RGZ-05-C-0069

AMCOM

$5,000,000

CPIF contract for development and demonstration for the extended range/multi-purpose unmanned aerial vehicle.

6/27/2008 W58RGZ-08-C-0082

AMCOM

$33,619,359

CPFF contract for logistics support for I-GNAT, Warrior Alpha and Sky Warrior Unmanned Aircraft systems at multiple locations.

8/15/2008 W58RGZ-06-C-0208

AMCOM

$7,896,513

CPFF contract to acquire three extended-range multi-purpose Block 0 Unmanned Aircraft in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

9/17/2008 W58RGZ-05-C-0069

AMCOM

$37,158,705

CPIF contract for systems development and demonstration (including integration of the Hellfire Missile) for the extended range multi-purpose unmanned aerial vehicle.

9/25/2008 W58RGZ-08C-0082

AMCOM

$40,000,000

CPFF contract forRehabilitation, reconstitution, andrepair work in support of contractor logistics support for I-GNAT, Warrior Alpha, and Sky Warrior UAVs.

9/30/2008 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$55,627,763

FFP contract procure six Dual Control Mobile GroundControl Stations, five Converted Mobile Ground Stations and three Predator Ground Data Terminals.

9/30/2008 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$24,500,000

CPFF contract for data collection/entry and numbered Periodic Depot Maintenance (PDM) for the Predator/Reaper MQ-1 and MQ-9 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) programs.

10/30/2008 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$163,082,588

Increment as part of a $177,082,588 CPFT contract for services, logistics support, and spares management in support of the Predator/Reaper MQ-1 and MQ-9 Unmanned Aircraft System programs.

11/26/2008 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$52,927,284

Increment as part of a NTE $115,158,656 FFP contract for 16 Global War on Terror, MQ-9Reaper,UnmannedAerial Vehicles.

12/30/2008 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$42,638,374

contract For management, urgent repairs and services, and logistics support for the Predator/Reaper MQ-1 and MQ-9 Unmanned Aircraft System program.

1/29/2009 W58RGZ-08-C-0082

ACC

$21,710,228

CPFF four month extension to current contractor logistics support contract for logistics support for I-GNAT Warrior Alpha, and Sky Warrior Block O Unmanned Aircraft Systems at multiple OCONUS locations.

2/5/2009

FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$40,049,760

Increment as part of a NTE $81,273,117 FFP contract for two MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and two Mobile Ground Control Stations for the Italy Foreign Military Sales customer.

2/26/2009 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$168,372,886

FFP contract for flight operations support, data collection/entry and numbered periodic depot maintenance for the Predator/Reaper Unmanned Aircraft System program.

3/12/2009 W58RGZ-05-C-0069

AMCOM

$33,000,000

CPIF contract for incremental funding in support of the extended range multi-purpose unmanned aircraft systems system development and demonstration contract.

5/1/2009

AMCOM

$23,520,000

CPIF contract for the acquisition of Production Ready Test Assets (PRTA) Extended Range Multi-Purpose (ERMP) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).

W58RGZ-09-C-0151



June 2010

RQ-1 Predator/MQ-9 Reaper 5/18/2009 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

5/20/2009 W58RGZ-09-C-0153

Page 10

$9,828,520

FFP contract for the Predator receiver terminals, installation and software updates.

AMCOM

$10,614,469

CPFF contract forcontractor logisticssupport forthe ER multi-purpose quick reaction capability UAS in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

6/12/2009 W58RGZ-09-C-0152

AMCOM

$53,969,958

CPFF contract for contractor logistics support for the IGNAT/Warrior Alpha/Block 0 unmanned aircraft systems at multiple OCONUS locations.

6/30/2009 W58RGZ-05-C-0069

AMCOM

$24,405,260

CPIF contract for the acquisition of additional extended range multi-purpose unmanned aircraft systems hardware to support Army system integration laboratory and training.

8/26/2009 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$5,022,500

Increment as part of a $10,250,000 modified contract forone-year of Contractor Logistics Support for the Italian purchase of MQ-9 Reaper aircraft under the Foreign Military Sales program.

9/30/2009 W58RGZ-09-C-0136

AMCOM

$16,808,435

CPFF contract for the extended-range/multi-purpose unmanned aerial system, to support product improvements and technology insertions into the current ER/MP UAS in Poway, CA.

9/30/2009 W58RGZ-05-C-0069

AMCOM

$17,976,522

CPIF contract forfive onesystemsground controls stations in support of the extended range/multi-purpose systems development and design contract in Poway, CA.

9/30/2009 FA8620-05-D-3028

ASC

$46,040,935

contract for Linux operating systems, technical orders, improved display, and spares for the Predator/Reaper.

9/30/2009 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$19,500,000

contract to provide various MQ-9 Reaper equipment and items including aircraft supplemental spares, 30 day pack-up kits, and ground support equipment.

12/31/2009 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$53,211,124

Increment aspartof a $266,055,622 contract for reliability/maintenance enhancements; and CAMS/REMIS/CEMS data collection entry for the Predator/Reaper MQ-1 and MQ-9 unmanned aircraft system program.

2/1/2010

ASC

$12,804,804

CPFF term contract to provide two MQ-9 Reaper test aircraft to support immediate and future development tests needs on the Reaper Increment I program.

4/20/2010 W58RGZ-09-C-0151

AMCOM

$17,046,878

CPIF contract for support of the extended range/multi-purpose system production readiness test asset contract.

4/30/2010 W58RGZ-09-C-0151

AMCOM

$15,215,147

CPIF contract for t he exer cise o ption for co ntract W58RGZ-09-C-0151 in support of the extended range/multi-purpose system production readiness test asset.

5/3/2010

W58RGZ-05-C-0069

AMCOM

$5,800,000

CPIF contract for continued performance of the system development demonstration in support of the extended range/multi-purpose unmanned aircraft system.

5/5/2010

FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$7,070,000

contract for a revision to the ground control station modernization program to improve pilots/sensor operator ergonomics through a cockpit hardware architecture.

FA8620-05-G-3028

5/14/2010 W58RGZ-10-C-0068

AMCOM

$195,510,000

FPIF contract for the procurement of supplemental hardware, low-rate initial production in support of the ER/MP UAS and hardware.

5/19/2010 W58RGZ-09-C-0153

AMCOM

$38,465,000

CPIF, CPFF contract for logistics support, performance-based logistics transition for the extended range multi-purpose unmanned aircraft system Quick Reaction Capability 1.

6/3/2010

FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$1,000,000

Increment as part of an $8,982,515 contract to provide for MQ-9 auto take-off and landing capability modification to the system development and demonstration bridge effort.

6/15/2010 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$24,044,533

contract for a quantity offourMQ-9 Reaperaircraft (twoproduction aircraft and two ground maintenance trainers).

6/22/2010 FA8620-05-G-3028

ASC

$94,285,469

Modification contract for the MQ-1 Predator aircraft and MD-1 ground control station retrofit kits.

June 2010




Page 11

General Atomics, Aeronautical Systems - Reconnaissance Systems Group 7/29/2005 FA8620-05-C-3013

ASC

9/29/2006 W15P7T-06-C-P255

CECOM

$8,550,308

FFP, CPFF and T&M contract for Lynx I Systems.

3/26/2007 FA8611-05-G-3028

ASC

$9,388,153

FFP contract for five (5) Lynx AN/APY-8 Radars and associated spares.

5/7/2008

ASC

$2,619,712

Increment as part of a $5,948,515 CPFF contract to provide support for the Lynx Continuous Look Attack Management Predator Reaper MQ-9.

FA8620-05-G-3028

$10,467

Incrementas partof a $13,867,301 FFP/CPFFcontract toprovide for 9 Lynx Synthetic Aperture Radars for the Predator, Ground Support Equipment and Spares, and a option for training manuals.

L-3 Communications, Communications Systems-West 12/20/2005 FA8650-06-C-5504

AFRL

$1,750,000

Increment aspartof a $7,101,036 CPFF, completion typecontract to increase the productionthroughput of datalink systems supporting Predator, Global Hawk, MP-CDL, and TARS platforms by reducing testing bottlenecks.

9/13/2007 FA8620-05-G-3027

ASC

$8,737,924

FFP contract for the build, installation, and test of fixed SATCOM terminals for the Predator/Reaper Program.

3/5/2008

ASC

$18,680,753

Increment as part of a $39,022,718 FFP contract for the conversion of thePredator Primary Satellite Link and fixed SATCOM station upgrades.

FA8620-08-G-3027

12/16/2008

$8,949,174

FFP contract to build Predator Primary Data Link Test Stands.

Lockheed Martin, Missiles and Fire Control 12/23/2002 M67854-03-C-1084

MCSC

5/24/2006 F33615-01-C-1419

AFRL

$30,925,000

FPI, firm target contract for initial low rate production of 400 Short RangeAnti-TankWeapon (SRAW) Systems (alsoknown as Predator).

$555,954

Increment as part of a $7,842633 CPFF contract for the Predator Imaging Laser Radar program.

$7,601,503

Increment as part of a $9,632,882 contract for the performance of the system preliminary design for a scaled communications intelligenceAirborne signals intelligence payload system for the MQ-9.

Northrop Grumman, Aerospace Systems 10/9/2009 FA8620-08-C-3004

ASC

Northrop Grumman, Mission Systems, Electromagnetic Systems Laboratory 7/10/2009 FA8620-08-C-3004

ASC

$69,851,657

Increment aspart ofa $71,147,842 CPIFcontractto provide MQ-1 UAS communication intelligence airborne signals intelligence payload -1 C scaled sensors for the Predator UAS.

COE

$40,269,000

FFP contract for the Predator Beddown.

Okland Construction 12/22/2006 W912PL-07-C-0007

Raytheon, Space & Airborne Systems 4/5/2002

N00164-00-G-0007

NAVSEA

$13,528,334

Undefinitized FFP modification under basic ordering agreement contract to provide 13 Multi-spectral Targeting Systems (MTS) and a Forward Looking InfraRed (FLIR) Laser Detecting-Ranging-Tracking set.

4/5/2002

N00164-00-G-0007

NAVSEA

$13,528,334

Undefinitized FFP modification under basic ordering agreement contract to provide 13 Multi-spectral Targeting Systems (MTS) and a Forward Looking InfraRed (FLIR) Laser Detecting-Ranging-Tracking set.

4/23/2002 N00164-00-G-0007

NAVSEA

$7,000,000

CPFF undefinitized job order under basic ordering agreement contract for engineering efforts to modify the configuration baseline of the Multi-spectral Targeting System (MTS).

8/6/2003

48

$69,999,995

FFP job order under previously awarded basic ordering agreement contract for multi-spectral targeting systems, including 52 turretunits and40 electronics units in support of theUSAF’s Predator Program and the USN’s SH-60.

N00164-00-G-0007



June 2010


Page 12

4/16/2004 N00164-00-G-0007

NSWC

$17,375,000

FFP job order under previously awarded basic ordering agreement contract for eight Multi-spectral Targeting System (MTS) “B” infrared systems for the Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

7/1/2004

N00164-00-G-0007

NSWC

$26,552,810

FFP purchase order under previously awarded Basic Ordering Agreement contract for Multi-spectral Targeting Systems (MTS), including 17 turret units and associated line items supporting the Predator and Navy H-60 programs.

9/1/2004

N00164-00-G-0007

NSWC

$11,692,127

CPFF task order under previously awarded basic ordering agreement contract for Multi-spectral Targeting Systems (MTS) “B” production in support of the Predator “B” program.

1/3/2005

N00164-00-G-0007

NSWC

$22,756,226

FFP order under Basic Ordering Agreement contract for Multi-spectral Targeting Systems (MTS) “B” configuration including 11 turretunits andassociated line items in support of the Predator program.

1/26/2005 N00164-00-G-0007

NSWC

$12,670,563

FFP task order under previously awarded Basic Ordering Agreement contract for Multi-spectral Targeting System “A” configuration, which includes seven Turret Units and associated line items in support of the Predator UAV program.

3/30/2005 N00164-00-G-0007

NSWC

$25,942,745

FFP modification under previously awarded Basic Ordering Agreement contract for Multi-spectral Targeting Systems (MTS) “A” configuration, including 22 Turret Units and associated line items in support of the Predator UAV program.

9/8/2005

N00164-00-G-0007

NSWC

$31,402,406

FFP task order under previously awarded basic ordering agreement contract for Multi-Spectral Targeting System “A” configuration, including 51 turret units and associated line items in support of Predator UAV and MH-60 helicopter.

9/26/2006 N00164-06-G-8555

NSWC

$27,100,290

FFP order under previously awarded Basic Ordering Agreement contract for Multi-spectral Targeting System configuration, including 27 Turret Units and associated line items In support of the Predator UAV program.

12/29/2006 FA8620-06-G-4041

ASC

$8,651,775

Increment aspartof an$11,535,700 CPFF contract for Contractor Logistics Support for the Predator A and B Multi-spectral Targeting Systems including program management, repairs and services.

2/22/2007 FA8620-06-G-4041

ASC

$8,651,775

Increment as part of a $70,400,000 FFP contract for production of 60 Multi-spectral Targeting Systems-As (MTS-As) for MQ-1 Predator and 5 Multi-spectral Targeting Systems-Bs (MTS-Bs) for MQ-9 Reaper.

12/31/2007 FA8620-06-G-3041

ASC

$5,434,825

Increment as part of a $9,058,041modification contract for contractor logisticssupport forthe Predator A andB multi-spectral targeting systems.

5/23/2008 N00164-06-G-8555

NSWC

$29,703,440

Modification to a previously awarded contract for Multi-spectral TargetingSystems(MTS) to be utilized onNavyMH-60aircraft.

9/15/2008 FA8620-06-G-4041

ASC

$8,748,119

Increment as part of a $52,013,000 FFP contract to provide 4 multi-spectral targeting systems and associatedshop replaceable unit spares and containers to support the Predator/Reaper program.

11/14/2008 FA8620-06-G-4041

ASC

$1,315,084

Increment as part of an $8,068,000 FFP contract to provide 4 Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems ModelB (MTS-B), wholespares and containers to support GWOT requirements for the Predator/Reaper Program.

5/29/2009 FA8620-06-G-4041

ASC

$14,094,649

Increment as part of an $87,327,441 FFP contract to provided 35 Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems Model A, 25 Preproduction Units and associated replaceable unit spares.

6/10/2009 FA8620-06-G-4041

ASC

$14,094,649

Increment as part of an $87,327,441 FFP contract to provide 35 multi-spectral targeting systems Model A, 25 multi-spectral targeting systems, 25 multi-spectral targeting systems -B pre-production units.

June 2010




Page 13

6/26/2009 FA8620-06-G-4041

ASC

$14,094,651

Increment as part of an $87,327,441 FFP contract for 35 Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems Model A, 25 MTS-B Pre-Production Unitsincludingone retrofit gyroand one retrofit imager.

12/31/2009 FA8620-06-G-4041

ASC

$12,565,938

Increment as part of a $38,078,612 contract for CY10 contractor logistics support of the multi-spectral targeting system for the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft systems.

NAVAIR

$6,355,030

Modification to a previously awarded FFP contract for the FY08 production of 137 RT-1556B AN/ARC-210 Receiver-Transmitter Radiosand 81 C-11898A Radio Control Sets forUSAF UAVPredator aircraft.

WRALC

$8,000,000

Increment aspartof a $74,500,000 ID/IQcontract for advisoryand assistance services to support the 560th Aircraft Sustainment Group.

NGB

$5,740,000

FFP contractforconstruction ofa PredatorOperations Complex.

ASC

$3,808,502

Increment as part of a $7,613,065 contract to provide pilot and sensoroperator services foracceptanceand flight test of thePredator/Reaper program.

Rockwell Collins, Government Systems 3/24/2008 N00019-05-C-0050

Spectrum Comm 1/4/2008

FA8528-08-D-0001

Stewart-Matl 7/27/2007 W912L1-07-C-5010

Unmanned Systems 6/30/2010 FA8620-10-C-3016

Funding History RDT&E ($ Millions)

FY02**

PE0205219F Reaper Development Reaper — PE0305219F Predator Development Predator — PE0304260F Airborne SIGINT MQ-9 SIGINT — PE0305204A Tactical UAV Payload Dev. — TSP Dev. — PE0305219A Tactical UAV MQ-1 — Procurement ($ Millions)

FY02**

FY03

FY04

FY05

FY06

FY07

FY08

FY09

FY10

FY11*

—

—

—

—

—

63.8

57.2

93.1

125.4

—

40.1

82.1

54.1

77.9

37.6

38.6

35.1

28.9

—

—

—

—

2.4

13.5

22.7

58.0

29.7

— —

— —

— —

— —

17.2 11.7

40.2 —

22.2 —

39.4 21.5

40.2 5.3

—

—

—

92.2

123.7

103.4

61.7

73.2

123.1

FY03

FY04

FY05

FY06

FY07

FY08

FY09

FY10

FY11*

320.6 (27) — — 36.5 —

253.5 (24) — (2) 29.9 —

676.1 (48) 58.5 (12) 57.4 —

299.2 (24) 374.5 (20) 52.4 16.9

223.6 (18) 444.4 (24) 199.3 82.4

— — 487.7 (24) 188.9 108.9

— — 863.6 (36) 208.2 224.3

— —

42.5 —

38.6 —

122.7 (12)

209.9 (12)

420. (24)

506.3 (26)

US Air Force Procurement 3010F Predator 203.3 139.1 202.0 (quantity) (22) (25) (15) Reaper — — — (quantity) — — — Predator mods 14.8 10.1 13.7 Reaper mods — — — US Army Procurement: BA1 Aircraft Procurement MQ-1 — — — (quantity) — — —

*Request **In FY02, the Predator program received an additional $167.6 million from the Defense Emergency Relief Fund (DERF) which wasused to equip thePredatorwith a Multi-SpectralLaserDesignator/Sensorand Hellfire launchcapability as well as purchase an additional 4 RQ-1A and 3 MQ-9A air vehicles. The FY02 Supplemental added 9 MQ-1B and 1 MQ-9; the FY02 Plus-Up added 4 MQ-1B, for a grand total of 8 in the basic appropriation and 21 in the various add-ons. However, it would appear the actual number funded was lower with a total of 102 air vehicles funded in FY97-03.



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Costs The Tier 1 was funded by the Central Intelligence Agency under a secret budget item. The CIA’s Tier 1 UAVs reportedly cost $800,000 for the Gnat 750 and $1.2 million for the ground station. Program funding for the DoD participation in UAV-E was reported to total $97 million, with $5 million allotted to the Tier 1 phase. The program reverted back to DoD funding under PE# 0305141D when it reached Tier 2; reportedly $600 million was allotted for the program in FY95-99 budget plan ($42 million in FY95 and $15 million in FY96). In 1994, the UAV program office estimated the cost of the Tier 2 Predator system as being $3 million per air vehicle, $1.2 million per ground station and$2 million perTro jan Spirit II command and control system (earlier reports pegged the

UAV cost at $4.2 million per air vehicle). Theinitial program plans were to acquire 10 air vehicles and 3 ground stations; the subsequent plans were to acquire 47 airvehicles, 11ground stations and 9 Trojan Spirit dissemination systems. Estimated costs of the 44-air vehicle purchase including RDT&E totaled $367 million. However, the subsequent objective was statedto be for66 Predator, 17 ground stations and 16 Trojan Spirit dissemination systems. As of mid-1997, the stated objective was for 13 systems and 80 air vehicles, including the three airvehicles lost during testing and initial operations. The cost for this procurement package was $209.9 million in RDT&E and$368.8million fora total of $578.7 million with other RDT&E costs likely.

As of mid-1997, the stated objective was for 13 systems and 80 air vehicles that included the three air vehicles lost during testing and initial operations. The cost for this procure ment package was $209.9 million in RDT&E and$368.8 million fora total of $578.7 million. US Air Force Air Combat Command estimated a requirement for $320 million in personnel and O&M expenses for the UAV units in FY98-03. In recent years, the Air Force has described the program as “continuing”, meaning that no specific objective has been set for the total number of systems or airvehicles. In theFY11 budget submission, the Air Force listed the objective for the MQ-9 as 341 aircraft at a cost of $7,286.8 million.

Procurement unit costs (then-year $) from P-1 documents: FY99: $7,632,800 (RQ-1) FY02: $2,909,000 (MQ-1B) $11,367,000 (MQ-9) FY03: $3,727,000 (MQ-1B) $8,667,000 (MQ-9) FY04: $4,459,000 (MQ-1B) $11,302,000 (MQ-9) FY05: $4,924,000 (MQ-1B) $12,440,000 (MQ-9) FY06: $3,664,000 (MQ-1B) $14,095,000 (MQ-9) FY07: $4,263,000 (MQ-1B) $13,400,000 (MQ-9) FY08: $5,561,000 (MQ-1B) $12,499,000 (MQ-9) FY09: $3,810,000 (MQ-1B) $8,510,000 (MQ-9) FY10: n/a $10,401,000 (MQ-9) FY11: n/a $11,390,000 (MQ-9)

Program Overview History UAV Joint Program Office Established Following cancellation of the trou bled Army MQM-105 Aquila RPV program, Congress finally lost patience with the ineffective manner in which the armed services were pursuing separate and often overlapping RPV efforts. It froze all FY88 RDT&E funding ($52.6 million) for non-lethal unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and directed DoD to develop a coherent joint-service plan. In June 1988, the Pentagon submitted a seven-year, $2.3 billion master plan

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covering development and procurem e n t o f f o u r d i f f e r e n t U AV s (Close-Range, Short-Range, Medium-Range, and Endurance) for a variety of missions.

UAV-E Requirement The UAV-E system was based on e a r l ie r D A R PA - s p o n so r e d a n d in-house efforts including high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) UAVs such as Boeing’s Condor, Leading Systems’Amber IV, General Atomics Amber, and E-System’s EVER (Endurance Vehicle for Extended Recon-

naissance). The requirement for UAV-E was for an air vehicle with a range of more than 1,000 miles, and an endurance of about 48 hours. Potential missions for the system would be targeting and surveillance of large areas of a battlefield or ocean, com munications relay, or long-term monitoring of ground-based sensors. The 1990 update of the UAV master plan called for low-rate initial production of the UAV-E in mid FY97. Under thisplan, initial operational capability would not occur until near the turn of the century.




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CIA Reorganization In the early 1990s, the Joint Chiefs of Staff requested the rapid development of a long-range tactical UAV to conduct surveillance operations over Bosnia. The program was handed over to the CIA under the expectation that it could circumvent to DoD acquisition bureaucracy and rapidly field a system. The UAV selected was the General Atomics Gnat-750, a derivative of a UAV developed by Leading Systems Inc. under the $40 million DARPA Amber program. About eight of the Amber UAVs are still in storage at theNavy China Lake facility; these UAVs were significantly smaller than the Gnat-750. General Atomics acquired the program after Leading Systems went bankrupt. The Gnat-750 first flew in 1989 and in 1992 completed a 40-hour mission from the firm’s test facility at El Mirage, CA. Two Gnat-750s were acquired for the Tier 1 effort. This part of the program aimed at fielding a system with commercial sensor technology, which if lost over former Yugoslavia, would not compromise sensitive US technology.

ployment in October 1993, but was put off due to software problems and other technical issues. The Albanian deployment was a failure and 10 initial flights were conducted. The problemsweredue tobad weather over the surveillance areas, maintenance problems, and continued difficulties with the data link. The CIA began using a Schweitzer RG-8 powered glider as the data relay. By the summer of 1994, the operation had conducted 30 flights of which 12 were viewed as successful. In the summer of 1994, the operation was apparently shifted to Croatia that eased the operational problems caused by the long flight times into Bosnia.

schedule called for demonstration of the EO/IR sensor-UHF uplink prototype in 6 months, assembly of fieldablesystems in 12 months, test of a SAR/Ku-band data link in 18 months, upgrade of theinitial systems i n 2 4 m on th s a nd c o mp le te operational trials in 30 months.

Tier 2 Contract Award On 7 January 1994, General Atomics was awarded a $31.7 million cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF) contract for the Tactical Endurance UAV advanced concept technology demonstration. The contract will eventually e nt ail t he d el iv ery o f t en Gnat-750-TE Predators (a.k.a. Gnat-750-45) and three ground control stations. The satellite data-link for the system was provided by Unisys and the mission planning systems by Boeing Military Aircraft. Work was to be completed by June 1996. The program was developed under thenew Advanced Concept and Technology Demonstration (ACTD), meaning that it was managed outside the usual Defense Acquisition Board process.

Tier 2 The resurrected USAF UAV-E program, labeled Tier 2, was expected to last about 2 years and cost $92 million. The initial program objective was initially10 airvehicleswith three associated ground control stations. The Tier 2 version has more sophisticated sensors than the Tier 1, and flightcontrol is managed by a satellite data uplink rather than using the cum bersome aircraft relay needed with Tier 2 Predator Demonstration the earlier version. The uplink capaProgram bility was first demonstrated during a Technical Problems The 30-month demonstration The program was troubled by the 2 December 1993 test flight of a Gnat schedule called for initial flights by bureaucratic entanglements of run- 750 UAV that transmitted imagery of the first three air vehicles the summer ning a DoD/CIA program, and CIA various mobile targets including of 1994 using the first ground-control inexperience with UAV flight control, tanks. station (GCS). This initial effort fosensor and flight control integration, The UAV JPO released an RFP for cused on air vehicle/sensor/GCS inteand data link technology. In October the Tier 2 UAV-Endurance in Decemgration and demonstration of the EO 1993, one of the two prototypes b e r 1 9 9 3 . C o m p e t i t i o n f o r t h e sensor and UHF satellite datalink. By crashed due to a computer problem UAV-Endurance requirement in November 1994, the three first Predawhich shut down the engine and data cluded TRW teamed with IAI with an tors had accumulated over 100 hours link at speeds under 40 mph. When a undisclosed air vehicle; Teledyne flight time during 40 flights. By Januwind gust induced an indication of Ryan with a variant of its Model 410; ary 1995, four aircraft and the second low airspeed, the aircraft lost control and General Atomics with an imGCS were delivered and the systems and crashed. proved Gnat 750. The procurement were ready to go into the field at the program was limited to US compaJTF-95 or Red Flag exercises or to Initial Bosnian Deployment nies only due to access to sensitive An expedient system was fielded support unexpected international new technologies. System integration bythe CIAin Albania in January 1994 contingencies. A total of 10 Predators included UHF and GFP Ku-band satconsisting of two Gnat-750 air vehiwere under construction at the time. ellite communications, and EO IR cles and a ground control system with During the summer of 1995, the #9 and GFP-SAR sensor capabilities. satellite uplink. The aim was to base and #10 Predators were under conThe system characteristics included a the systems out of Italy, but the Italian struction with a SAR sensor for deliv payload of 450 lb, radius of action of government denied CIA requests to ery in December 1995. The UHF 500 nm at 15,000 feet and endurance station theUAV-E Tier 1 team in Italy. satellite datalink was later replaced by of at least 24 hours. The program The original plan had called for dea Ku-band wide-band satellite



June 2010

RQ-1 Predator/MQ-9 Reaper datalink. This reconfigured system operated with the third GCS, also delivered by this date. Three more upgraded UAVs were ready by January 1996 and the retrofit of other UAVs began. There were ten full-capability Predators by June-July 1996.

der Air Force control and conducted operations through February 1997. On its first mission, the Predator lost its satellite link but managed to fly back to its operating base at Taszar, Hungary. The redeployed unit had an upgraded version of the Predator with a synthetic aperture radar sensor. A Additional Predators to be AcPredator crashed in a minefieldin Ocquired tober 1996 near Tuzla, but was recovThe Congress decided to add $25 ered with the assistance of Russian million to the FY95 budget (bringing IFOR troops. A fourth Predator it to $45 million) to provide funding crashed while approaching the runfor five additional Predators fitted way atMostarin Bosniaon 11 August with a SIGINT capability and laser 1997 due to engine problems. The air designators; the funding was earvehicle was fitted with a SAR radar. marked to provide an additional The operational tempo of thePredground control station suitable for ators in Bosnia in 1997 was described SIGINT data reception. as being about 6 missions per week. Predator Deployed to Bosnia Air Force Forms UAV Units A US DoD team was deployed The US AirForce activatedits first with the Predator UAV system at UAV unit since the Vietnam War on Gjader, Albania (55 mi north of 29 July1995 atNellisAir Force Base, Tirana) in July 1995 for operations designated the 11th Reconnaissance over Bosnia. The original deploySquadron of the 57th Wing. This unit ment apparently consisted of three air formerly operated RF-4C reconnaisvehicles and one GCS; a fourth UAV sance aircraft andlaterserved as a tacwas apparently sent later. The sortie tical drone control squadron with rate was about six per week with typiDC-130 aircraft. Flight operations are cal missions lasting 12 to 16 hours. expected to take place at Indian Two UAVs were lost in August. The Springs Auxiliary Airfield, also in first was lost on 11 August when sig Nevada. The Predator was officially nals abruptly ceased while it was loihanded over the Air Force control in tering at low altitude in an area to September 1996. As of August 1997, observe Bosnia Serb movements. the squadron had 6 Predators, two of Bosnian sources claimed to have shot which were deployed in Hungary. it down and retrieved the wreckage In August 1997, it was announced that they said wasbeingturned over to that a second squadron will be Russia for technical evaluation. The formed, the 15th Reconnaissance secondloss on 14 AugustoccurredafSquadron, also to be based initially at ter the Predator had climbed back to Indian Springs. A third squadron may 20,000 ft for the flight home. The en be established later for training purgine began to malfunction and the poses. GCScrew attemptedto glide theUAV back to the Adriatic for retrieval. Predator for Customs Use? When it became evident that this The Predator was used in a 1996 would not be possible, the crew test program to examine its suitability steered it into a mountain to prevent it for surveillance operations in counfrom falling into Serb hands. A third ter-narcotics mission in support of Predator (No. 7 with the new Ku band P-3 Orion AEW&C aircraft. The reSATCOM link) crashed during trials port to Congress recommended at El Mirage airport, California dur- against the use of the Predator in this ing trials but may be repairable. role, citing high costs and perforAfter an interlude in 1995 when mance shortcomings. However, the the unit was withdrawn, the Predator report recommended the use of the returned to Bosnia in March 1996 un- Predator in some missions, and noted

June 2010

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that it was worth monitoring, particularly as the design matures.

Predator For Naval Use? A study conducted in 1996 con cluded that adapting the Predator for operations from shipboard would be costly and cumbersome, and recommendedagainst theeffort. Such a program would have to include a new recovery system, a reconfigured control station, and a heavy fuel engine. Although the Navy was skeptical about the use of Predator from ships, in 1997, the Navy was examining a derivative of the Predator, called the Altus 2, for possible use as a long range reconnaissance platform for obtaining targeting data for long range strike systems such as SLAM-ER. A prototype of thesystem was first flown in August 1997. The Altus 2 is fitted with a data link for passing information back to F/A-18 strike fighters. Predator Losses A Predator UAV was lost on ap proach to Tuzla airport in April 1999 while returning from a mission over Kosovo. Total losses over Kosovo were reported to have been three air vehicles. A further three Predators were lost during the May 1999 Kosovo air campaign, two to enemy action. An Air Force Predator was shot down over Iraq in September 2001. An additional Predator, apparently under CIAdirection, was lost duringa mission over Afghanistan in late September 2001, though apparently due to mechanical malfunction. Predator losses through January 2003 were 27 air vehicles of the ap proximately 55 delivered to date. The Predator reached the 50,000 flight hour mark in October 2002, suggesting that the loss rate of the Predator was roughly 1 per 1,850 hours of flight time. Altair In January 2000, NASA announced plans to acquire three Predator B UAVs for its Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Tech-




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nology (ERAST) program. The Predator B is being developed jointly with company funds ($8 million) and NASAfunds ($10 million) In contrast the existing Predator, the Predator B001 is powered by a Honeywell TPE331-10T turboprop engine, and is substantially larger weighing more than twice as much on takeoff and with a 64 ft. vs. 48 foot wing. The Predator B002 is powered by a Williams FJ44-2A turbofan. The Predator B has increased payload, going from 450 lb to 650 lb. The first test flight was completed in February 2001. Altair was the first civil UAV to receive an FAA airworthiness certificate in September 2005.

New Sensors New sensor packages being considered for deployment on Predator include a foliage-penetrating radar, a laser radar, a CBR detector, a remote mine detector, and a data relay package. In late 1998, Predator was flown with an ELINT package. In 1999, the US Army fitted four Predators with laser designators to mark targets for laser-guided munitions. Predator Hunter-Killer The Air Force began experiments with a Predator armed with the Hellfire missile in 2000. This program was originally intended to serve as a testbed for future UCAV developments rather than as a forerunner for actual Predator missions. The first three firing tests were conducted in

February 2001 and all three missiles hit the target. The initial tests were conducted from a relatively low altitude of only 2,000 feet. These tests continued, including plans to conduct further trials with AGM-114K missiles launched from altitudes over 10,000 feet. Through August 2001, 16 launches had been conducted up to an altitude of 15,000 feet with “mixed results”. Although not planned for operational deployment, armed Predators were used with considerable success in Operation Enduring Freedom over Afghanistan in 2001-2002. In addition, an armed Predator was used in Yemen in 2002 to kill a top Al Qaeda operative. The MQ-1B was operated out of Djibouti under CIA direction with USAF personnel, and a car carrying Qaed Salim Sinan (a.k.a. Abu Ali) was destroyed by a single Hellfire missile. The success of this application led to the Air Force decision in2003to convert all RQ-1 to the MQ-1B hunter-killer configuration.

Navy Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Although the Navy selected the RQ-4 Global Hawk for its original demonstrations of UAVs for the maritime surveillance role, it broadened its search for the definitive air vehicle at the procurement stage to consider Predator derivatives. One of the initial offerings was a turbo-jet powered version of the Predator, dubbed Predator C, but General Atomics, teamed with Lockheed Martin, offered a de-

rivative of the Predator B, called Predator B-ER or Mariner. The prototype Mariner first flew on 22 April 2004. However, theNavy selected the rival RQ-4 Global Hawk for BAMS in April 2008.

MQ-9A Reaper The success of the armed RQ-1A Predators ledthe Air Force to accelerate the development of a heavier version of Predator, dedicated to the hunter-killer role. The Air Force selected the Predator B for this mission, now designated MQ-9A Reaper in Air Force service. Supplementary funding in the FY02 budget covered the acquisition of the first three MQ-9As and a total of 23 Reapers were funded as part of the Predator line in FY02-07. After FY07, Reaper is funded on its own budget line. The first Reaper was built in January 2002 and first operational Reaper was delivered to Creech AFB in Nevada in March 2007. The Reaper became operationalin both Iraq and Afghanistan in 2007. By mid-2002, the Air Force objective was to acquire two MQ-9 squadrons, each consisting of 20 air vehicles and five ground control stations. The FY08 budget submission anticipated funding 51 Reapers through FY13. The Air Force also began trials of other munitions from the MQ-9A including the JDAM bomb, and AGM-65 Maverick missile.

Export Status Australia The Mariner version of Predator has been offered to Australia as an alternativeto theGlobal Hawk. A Mariner participated in a demonstration along the north-west Australian coast through 2007 pursuant to this program. However, Australia first decided to back the US Navy selection forBAMS, theGlobal Hawk, butsubsequently deferred participating in the program.


Britain Predator was one of the systems originally offered to satisfy the British Watchkeeper requirement but not part of thefinal bidpackage. This program is covered in a separate report in this section, and the Israeli Hermes was subsequently selected for this requirement. In early 2004, British officials began discussions with the US about borrowing or leasing Predators for use by British units in Iraq. A British operated MQ-1 Predator was involved in an airstrike in late 2004

using one of the leased aircraft. The UK also conducted a series of trials dubbed Falcon Prowl in early 2005 using a Predator B fitted with a Goodrich DB-110 recon system as a possi ble candidate for the RAF Long Range Long Endurance (LRLE) requirement to replace the Canberra PR9 photo recon aircraft sometime after 2006. In 2006, Britain decided to purchase Predators with two Reapers (Predator Bs) ordered for delivery in April 2007. The Predators were as-


June 2010


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signed to the 39 Squadron based in Waddington. In 2008-2009, the 39 Squadron has operated out of Creech AFB in the US alongside US Predator/Reaper units with a forward de ployed detachment in Afghanistan to maintain the aircraft. On 3 January 2008, the Congress was notified of the proposed sale of 10 MQ-9 Reapers to the UK at an eventual cost of $1.07 billion. The RAF already operated Reapers on loan from the USAF over Iraq in late 2007.

Predator B/Reapers by 2011 at an exItaly As a result of the Kosovo cam- pected cost of $117 million. The plan paign, in May 2000, the Italian air as of late 2008 was to acquire five air force announced plans to acquire six vehicles and three GCSs. Since the Predator systems as a result of “les- Italian air force plans to use these for sons learned” during the Kosovo air reconnaissance, they will not be concampaign. The contract included four figured with hard-points for weapons. UAVs with payload and two without On 19 November 2009, the US Conwith delivery beginning in late 2001 gress was notified of the proposed and ending in 2002 and Meteor sale of 2 MQ-9 Reapers to Italy at a served as the Italian prime contractor; cost of $63 million. only five were delivered. One of the Pakistan air vehicles was lost during training, Pakistan approached the US in reducing theforceto four andone was 2002 about acquiring Predator for Canada heavily damaged during an accident General Atomics has teamed with border surveillance and has subsein Iraq. Operational capability was General Dynamics-Canada to offer quently requested the Reaper. reached in December 2004. Four the Predator to Canada for a maritime Predators are operated by the 32 Turkey surveillance requirement. S to r mo , 2 8 G r u pp o Ve l iv o li In late 1992, the Turkish ministry Teleguidata “Le Streghe” which de- of defense acquired test batches of France In June 1997, thePredatorwas dis- ployed from itshome base, Amendola General Atomics Gnat-700, AAI Fal played at the Paris Air Show. The AFB near Foggia, to Tallil AFB near con 600 and IAI Searcher UAVs for a sponsor for the show was the French An Nasiriyah in Iraq in January 2005. local requirement. Turkey was also firm SAGEM which is teaming with The UAV group reached 1,000 flight developing its own UAV called WitGeneral Atomics in an effort to inter- hours by early 2006. ness. The two American companies In August 2004, Italy announced received contracts for $30 million est the French government in the Altus derivative of the Predator for a plans to acquire another 5 Predators, each for a ground control station and French requirement for a high endur- but to date this has been limited to six air vehicles each. However, Turance UAV. France subsequently se- two, one attrition spare and one more key ran into serious funding difficullected the Eagle, a derivative of the to fill out the original order for six. ties after the first 3 were delivered. Predator assembly in Italy is under- The CIA asked Congress to fund the IAI Heron. taken by Galileo Avionica, a unit of purchase of four Gnat 750s manufacGermany Finmeccanica. In June 2004, the Ital- tured for Turkey to add to its fleet of In May 2007, there were press reian parliament passed legislation to Tier 1 UAVs. In the end, Turkey re ports that the German air force plans open up Italian airspace to the Preda- ceived two ground control stations to acquire the Predator B for its tactitor UAV for operations. Plans to ac- and 6 Gnat-750 air vehicles in 1994 cal reconnaissance requirements desquire two more Predators in 2005 and ordered two more air vehicles as ignated SAATEG. The requirement is floundered due to budget problems, attrition spares in 1998. for about five air vehicles, and Predawith the plans now shifted to the 2007 tor is expected to compete against the budget. In February 2008, the parliaIsraeli Heron 450. ment approved the acquisition of four

Current Developments The Budget Roller-Coaster The Air Force funded 102 air vehicles through FY04. Under the FY04 budget plan, the USAF was tofund62 MQ-9A Predator B hunter-killer UAVs in the FY02-09 budgets, but under the FY05 budget this was slashed to 27 air vehicles and revised yet again in the FY06 budget back up to 101 Predator Bs through FY11. The FY07 budget submission in February 2006 again saw a major shift in procurement objectives. The USAF

June 2010

added a substantial number of Predators to the FY05-11 plan, going from 160 to 255 aircraft. At the same time, there was a pronounced shift in the composition of the planned force in favor ofthe MQ-1 overthe MQ-9 versions. The MQ-1 objective increased from 59 to 218 aircraft while MQ-9 fell from 101 to only 37 aircraft in the FY05-11 plans. In the FY09 budget submission, the objective was a total of 416 Predators funded through FY13, with 198 having been funded

through FY06. The FY10 budget saw yet another shift with the Air Force deciding to terminate MQ-1 Predator acquisition in favor of Reaper, cap ping procurement at 320 MQ-1 through FY09, the last year of funding. RQ-9 Reaper under the FY11 budget plan is 341 aircraft through FY15 at a cost of $7.2 billion with procurement expected to ramp up to 48 aircraft in FY11. In May 2008, the USAF and Army began planning to adopt a common




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version of the Predator based on the Army MQ-1C. However, with USAF Predator acquisition coming to an end, this may be limited to the last 20 Predators from the FY09 production batch.

the Shadow UAV, not an entirely new system infrastructure. The Army released the RFP for ERMP in Septem ber 2004. The program was planned to entail about four-five systems each with 12-18 air vehicles and 5 GCS; theFY09 budgetplan envisions 9 sysReaper Development tems through FY13. The Phase I inAside from the shift from Predator v o lv e d a d o w n- s el e ct t o t w o to Reaper procurement, the USAF is competitors which took place in early also expanding its development effort FY05 and included General Atomics on the airframe through a set of im(teamed with AAI and Sparta) with a provement packages. The SDD IncrePredator derivative called Warrior, a ment 1 package developed through Northrop Grumman team with a verFY10 includes GBU-38 multi-store sion of the Israeli Heron called c a p a b il i t y, B R Y- 7 1 u p d a t e s, Hunter II. The General Atomics WarGBU-12/EGBU-12 ripple launch carior was selected by the Army for the pability, Lynx radar stationary target ERMP requirement on 8 August classifier and a number of other im 2005. It is now being referred to by provements. The SDD Increment 2 the Army as Sky Warrior. package to be developed in FY12-15 Funding for engineering developenvisions a universal armament intermentof the ERMPbegan in FY06 and face, Small Diameter Bomb and was expected to cost $280.5 million JAGM missile capability, improved through FY11; the SDD phase was navigation and communications expected to be completedby 1QFY08 suites and other upgrades. but in recent years, the Army has shifted to referring to theprogram as a Navy Armed Predator In December 2005, the US Navy “continuing” effort, with RDT&E acquired a single MQ-9A Predator B funding continuing until the end of foran undisclosed application, notas- FY11. The Army began procurement sociated with BAMS. The acquisition funding of the first system in FY08 did not appear in the open budget. In with starting with low-rate initial prolate2008, the Navynoted thatit had in duction in FY08-FY10 and a full-rate fact acquired four MQ-9 Reapers production award at the end of FY09. from November 2005 to March 2007 The first “Block 0” aircraft flew on 6 for a “sensor testing and integration June 2007; the first production configured airvehicle flew in April 2008. project.” Although the Army had originally MQ-1C Sky Warrior ERMP planned to wait for “Block 1” before The US Army awarded a contract fielding first unit in late 2009/early in May 2003 for 3 IGNAT UAVs 2010, a supplementary contract was based on the Predator to help define awarded in2007for 6 Block 0 aircraft its UAV requirements for a tactical to place capability in Iraq as quickly UAV with capabilities beyond those as possible. Two Block 0 aircraft were possible with the smaller RQ-7A first deployed in Iraq in April 2008. Shadow for use at division/corps The First Unit Equipped is scheduled level. The RQ-5 Hunter was once for 3QFY11 and Initial Operational considered a possible candidate for Capability I 4QFY12. t h e A r my ’s E x te n d ed R a n ge Recent Army documents suggest Multi-Purpose UAV, but a more capathat the program objective is now set ble platform wasdesired by theArmy. at one Warrior system in each of the ERMP is designed to fill a spot beten divisions, and the requirement is tween the Army Shadow and the Air for132 Block 1 airvehicles; theFY11 Force MQ-9 Predator B in capability. budget document suggests 158 airveHowever, the Army wants to operate hicles through FY15 at a cost of $2.9 the ERMP using the existing GCS of billion.


The army is funding a variety of supporting efforts including an Advanced Payload Development focused primarily on a SAR/GMTI payload, and a separate Tactical SIGINT Payload. In April 2008, the Army decided to adopt the Northrop Grumman Starlite SAR/GMTI instead of the General Atomics Lynx II. Lockheed Martin has been developing an advanced penetrating radar called Tracer for the US Army CERDEC for potential use on Sky Warrior.

Border Patrol Predator Congressional support for UAV technology prompted US Customs and Border Protection (CPB) to add UAVs to its aviation force. In 2004, CPB leased an Israeli Elbit Hermes and borrowed a US Army Hunter to conduct trials along the Mexican border as a possible tool for border patrol. The Hermes logged 590 hours of flight over four months and the Hunter a further 329 hours over three m o nt h s. T h is d e m on s tr a ti o n prompted a Congressional addition to the CPB budget for the acquisition of a General Atomics Predator B in 2005 which began operations in October 2005 from Sierra Vista municipal air port along the Mexican border. The Predator crashed on 24 April 2006 due to apparent pilot error butthe program proved successful enough that Congress funded another Predator which deployed in November 2006. CPB now has plans to fund UAV operations at about $10 million per year. Congress funded two more Predators in the FY06 supplemental, and the FY07 budget funds 2 more. As of the summer of 2009, five were operational. The additional UAVs will lead to expanded demonstration efforts with a Canadian border patroldemonstration to be based out of Grand Forks, North Dakota in the autumn of 2007 and a joint CPB/CoastGuard effortin Florida inthe spring of2007. In June 2009, a Predator began a three week evaluation effort out of fort Drum in upstate New York to patrol the St. Lawrence river and Lake On-


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tario along the Canadian border. The In May 2006, the FAA also gave April 2009. In contrast to theprevious CPB effort is being controlled out of the Air Force the green light to use members of thefamily, thePredatorC an integrated Air and Marine Opera- Predators over the United States dur- is jet powered, using the P&W tions Center in Riverside, California ing disaster relief operations for PW545B. The aircraft appears to be which facilitates coordination with search and rescue. Although the Air aimed at the US Air Force’s MQ-X the FAA. The CPB program is prov- Force was ready to provide this capa- Next Generation UAS requirement. ing to be the ground-breaker for UAV bility in the wake of Hurricane Ka- In 2010, General Atomic has also unairspace access issues and so could trina in 2005, the missions were veiled a navalized version called Sea facilitate further UAV use by other cancelled due to national airspace re- Avenger which may be aimed at the government agencies. strictions. Navy’s UCLASS requirement. In 2009, CPB pulled one of the Predator C (Avenger) Predators from patrol duty and sent it In April 2009, General Atomics back to General Atomics for modifirevealed its privately-developed cation to make it more suitable for a Predator C, now known as Avenger. planned deployment in a maritime paThe first flight was conducted on 4 trol role.

Teal Group Analysis The Predator UAV program has laid the groundwork for future endurance UAVs. Through the 1990s, the US military relied on U-2s to perform high altitude, long-endurance missions. However, with the spread of high altitude anti-aircraft missiles like the Russian S-200 Angara (SA-5 Gammon), thesemissionsbecame too risky. The main catalyst to the Predator has been the intelligence/surveillance demands of the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan which have significantly increased the procurement and operations tempoof the Predator. The decision to employ the Predators in a more versatile hunter-killer role has considerably expanded interestin the program. The successful use of the Predator in this role over Afghanistan in 2001, Yemen in 2002, and Iraq in 2003 opened the Air Force’s eyes to the possibility of hav-

ing UCAV capability today instead of Predator andits derivatives such as at the end of the decade. The Reaper the Gnat 750 have already been exhas proven to be exceptionally well ported in modest numbers, and it will suited to the type of counter-insur- notbe surprising to seemore exported gency operations in which the US is late in the forecast period. It is likely currentlyengaged. As a result, theAir that theUS Congress will keep a close Force’s acquisition plans for the eye on these exports due to MTCR Reaper have continued to expand problems, and they will probably be over the past few years. confined at first to close allies. So far, The Army has selected the Preda- Britain and Italy are already operating tor’s MQ-1C Sky Warrior derivative the Predator, but Germany also has to complement is short-range RQ-7 the Predator on its short list for its Tactical UAV. This has caused some MALE UAV requirement. friction with the Air Force which in The Predator has also been leading 2007 attempted to take control of the the way with sales into the civil/govmedium-high altitude UAVs. The ernment market, first with experiArmy has resisted this effort but DoD mental types such as the NASA has been attempting to foster greater Altair, but more recently with surveilcommonality between both. The lance types such as the Border Patrol USAF has talked about acquiring the Predators. This is likely to continue MQ-1C, but thismay be something of and these are included in the US Gova moot point with the shift to the ernment (USG) line below. MQ-9.

Funding Forecast RDT&E ($ Millions)

FY11

FY12

PE0205219F Reaper Development Reaper 125.4 111.6 PE0305219F Predator Development Predator 28.9 12.8 PE0304260F Airborne SIGINT MQ-9 SIGINT 29.7 11.2 PE0305204A Tactical UAV APDS 40.2 86.1 TSP 5.3 — PE0305219A Tactical UAV MQ-1C 123.2 60.7

June 2010

FY13

FY14

FY15

FY16

FY17

FY18

FY19

FY

80.1

52.9

27.3

30.0

30.0

30.0

30.0

30.0

7.2

4.8

0.8

—

—

—

—

—

11.6

3.1

3.1

3.0

3.0

3.0

3.0

3.0

27.5 — 29.3

27.5 — 21.9

27.5 — 19.3

18.0 — 17.0


18.0 — 15.0

12.0 — 15.0

12.0 — 15.0

12.0 — 15.0



Page 21

Procurement ($ Millions)

FY11

FY12

FY13

FY14

FY15

US Air Force Procurement 3010F Reaper 1079.6 1092.2 1142.0 1042.2 1053.0 (quantity) (48) (48) (48) (48) (48) Predator mods 208.2 123.0 99.7 75.0 44.8 Reaper mods 269.3 202.5 378.0 427.7 580.7 US Army Procurement: BA-1 Aircraft Procurement MQ-1 506.3 483.5 490.6 510.3 478.1 (systems) (26) (27) (27) (27) (27)

FY16

FY17

FY18

FY19

FY

375.0 (15) 85.0 400.0

375.0 (15) 85.0 450.0

375.0 (15) 120.0 400.0

375.0 (15) 120.0 400.0

375.0 (15) 120.0 400.0

450.0 (27)

— —

— —

— —

— —

Production Forecast User (Variant)

Through 2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Total

General Atomics CIA (Gnat 750) USAF (R/MQ-1) USAF (MQ-9) USA (MQ-1C) USG (Altair/Pred) Export (RQ-1/-9)

9 270 26 7 8 35

— 48 11 12 1 6

— 2 19 14 1 6

— — 24 25 1 8

— — 42 27 2 8

— — 52 27 2 8

— — 48 27 2 8

— — 48 27 2 8

— — 48 27 2 8

— — 48 27 2 8

— — 48 — 2 8

9 320 414 220 25 111

Total

355

78

42

58

79

89

85

85

85

85

58

1,099



June 2010


June 2010


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Preditor Program Cost and Contract Overview

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