The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. an $8.2 million undefinitized contract to equip Spain’s MQ-9A remotely piloted aircraft fleet with weapons. Structured as a cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price deal, the contract includes hardware and support services and will run until June 30, 2027.
According to the DOD notice, the sole-source acquisition falls under the Foreign Military Sales program and will be managed by the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. The work will take place in Poway, California, where GA-ASI is based.
This latest award builds on a previous $11.7 million logistics support contract granted to GA-ASI in 2023, which concluded last year. That earlier agreement covered MQ-9A Block 5 components, spares, simulator software, training and other support elements for the Spanish Air Force.
Aside from Spain, General Atomics is currently engaged in MQ-9 deals with other countries. Last month, GA-ASI announced Saudi Arabia is poised to acquire up to 200 MQ-9 systems as part of broader strategic agreements announced during President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East. GA-ASI also supports the United Kingdom’s MQ-9A Reaper program under a $26.6 million logistics contract extension awarded earlier this year.
The MQ-9A multi-mission platform is built for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. It is currently operated by the U.S. Air Force, Department of Homeland Security and NASA, as well as air forces of the U.K., Italy and France.