The U.S. Air Force has ordered four MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones, but not for itself.Drones
What is known
The island nation continues to prepare forpossible war against China. Under a $217.6 million contract, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems will supply Taiwan with two ground control stations, spare parts and additional equipment in addition to drones.
</ img>
Work will take place at the plant in California andwill end in 2025. It is worth noting that the US State Department approved the sale of drones three years ago. However, at that time the amount of the potential deal was estimated at $600 million.
MQ-9B SkyGuardian is designed for reconnaissance,observation and reconnaissance. The unmanned aerial vehicle is capable of staying in the air for more than 40 hours. The drone will make it possible to observe the Chinese military, which has stepped up activity near Taiwan over the past year.
</ img>
Note that until recently General AtomicsAeronautical Systems sold the MQ-9B SkyGuardian exclusively to foreign customers. The first American buyer was the US Air Force Special Operations Command. The service has been using the MQ-9A Reaper for nearly 15 years, but it recently ordered three SkyGuardian drones.
For now, the drone is used for reconnaissance,but in the future it will be able to carry missiles. At the end of winter, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems showed a new concept for using a drone, which involves equipping the MQ-9B SkyGuardian with Joint Strike Missile (JSM) missiles with a launch range of up to 480 km. The JSM is the airborne version of the Naval Strike Missile (NSM).