The United States has approved a $14.3 million contract modification for General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) to continue sustainment and maintenance support for the Italian Air Force’s MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial system fleet. The funding is part of an existing Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreement and covers an option year focused on ongoing operational support.
Awarded as a cost-plus fixed-fee modification, the contract ensures logistics, software maintenance, and sustainment services required to keep Italy’s remotely piloted aircraft mission-ready. Support activities will be conducted across Poway, California, as well as operational locations in Italy and Kuwait, reflecting the global footprint of MQ-9 operations.
Oversight of the program is being handled by the US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, with the full contract value already obligated. Work under the sustainment option is scheduled to run through January 31, 2027, ensuring uninterrupted availability of the aircraft for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and other mission sets.
The MQ-9 Reaper, developed by General Atomics, is a medium-altitude, long-endurance UAS capable of remaining airborne for more than 24 hours. Italy has operated the platform for over a decade, initially in an unarmed ISR role, before receiving US-approved upgrades such as advanced sensors, secure satellite communications, and the integration of precision-guided munitions.
