US approves possible sale of MQ-9 Reaper drones to Italy

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US State Department approved a possible sale of MQ-9 Block 5 aircraft to Italy for an estimated cost of $738 million, the Pentagon said Thursday.

"This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe," it said in a statement.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of the possible sale Thursday.

The proposed sale will improve Italy’s capability to meet current and future threats by expanding and improving the Italian Air Force’s MQ-9 fleet and advancing US and NATO policy goals of security and interoperability, it added.

The principal contractor will be General Atomics in San Diego, California, the statement added.

According to the General Atomics website, the Italian Air Force made its first flight of a new MQ-9A Block 5 remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) in 2023 to support a wide range of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions in Italy, above the Mediterranean, and in support of NATO operations.

MQ-9A has an endurance of more than 27 hours, speeds of 240 KTAS (276 miles per hour), can operate up to 50,000 feet, and has a 3,850-pound (1,746-kilogram) payload capacity that includes 3,000 pounds (1,361 kilograms) of external stores, it said.