The Air Force’s $43.3 million contract to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems on Jan. 6 covers retrofit kits to bring MQ-9 Reaper Block 1 remotely piloted aircraft to the latest configuration, but not the extended-range standard as we reported in Tuesday’s Daily Report column. The kits include new heavyweight landing gear, newer bomb rack technology, and data-dissemination improvements, not enlarged wings and fuel tanks. We’ve corrected our original entry.
There is a new entrant in the highly competitive field of collaborative combat aircraft—semi-autonomous drones meant to fly alongside manned combat aircraft. Northrop Grumman unveiled its new Project Talon aircraft to a small group of reporters at the facilities of its subsidiary Scaled Composites.

