General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, manufacturer of the Air Force’s MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft, announced the availability of a new trailing arm design for the Reaper’s main landing gear. The company is currently in contract talks with the Air Force to retrofit the existing fleet with the arm, company spokeswoman Kimberly Kasitz told the Daily Report. The new gear is one of several features that the company is including in the Reaper Block 5 configuration. Among it benefits, the arm design enables a 30-percent increase in landing-weight capacity, has a maintenance-free shock absorber, and provides provisions for automatic takeoff and landing capability and for anti-lock brake system upgrades. The new gear underwent full qualification, fatigue, and flight testing in January 2011. Kasitz said any new MQ-9s would be delivered with the new gear installed after production cut-in.
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.