General Atomics, which builds the Reaper "hunter-killer" drones
used in Iraq and on the US border, has proposed an upgrade that
would increase the MQ-9 Reaper's flying time from 27 hours to
42. Two different versions of the upgrade — both of which
retrofit existing aircraft — are available: one adds an extra
pair of fuel pods, and the other also replaces the current
66-foot wings with 88-foot ones. Both changes require heavy-
weight landing gear to handle the extra weight of the wings or
pods, making the redesigned Reaper weigh about six tons.
There's no note on how much the upgrades cost, or whether the
various agencies that own Reaper drones will even want them.
Although General Atomics still emphasizes the Reaper's
capability as a weapon, these changes seem primarily designed to
optimize it as a surveillance tool, something that's in line
with its increasing use outside war zones. Since the US Air
Force has also scaled back its drone program, this could keep
its remaining Reapers in the sky longer. However