The U.S. Air Force is increasing the lethality of its already deadly General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted vehicle (RPV) by adding a universal weapons interface to allow the carriage of more missiles and smart bombs.

A universal interface will also allow the Reaper to more quickly integrate new weapons technology and efficiently swap or replace bombs without much difficulty

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The Air Force has begun the process of adding more weapons to the Reaper, which is the first hunter-killer RPV designed for long-endurance, high-altitude surveillance. The Reaper was introduced in 2007 and the Air Force is its largest user with 104 operational Reapers.

Its role as the premier RPV in the war against terror in the Middle East springs from its formidable weapons load. It can loft four AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles or four Hellfire missiles and two 230 kg GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs. It can also mount the 230 kg GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM).

Testing is underway to support the AIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missile and the GBU-39B Small Diameter Bomb (SDB). The SDB is a small but effective 110 kg precision-guided glide bomb whose chief asset is that an aircraft can carry more of this GPS-guided weapon designed to minimize collateral damage. It can hit single or multiple targets simultaneously.

The addition of SDB and the Stinger need the development of a universal weapons interface. A Reaper should be able to carry up to 12 SDBs, probably up to 16. That's a lot of firepower per mission.

"We are looking at what kind of weapons do we need to integrate in. We're looking at anything that is in our inventory, including the small diameter bomb. We're working to get universal armament interface with an open mission systems architecture," said Lt. Gen. Arnold Bunch, Military Deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition,.

"As long as I get the interface right, I can integrate that new weapon much sooner," he said.

TagsU.S. Air Force, General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, remotely piloted vehicle, AGM-114 Hellfire, GBU-12 Paveway II, GBU-39B Small Diameter Bomb