The Pentagon notified Congress of a possible $243 million sale of four MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft, ground control stations, sensors, and spares to the Spanish air force, officials announced Oct. 6. The sale “improves Spain’s ability to meet current and future threats” while enhancing NATO’s ISR capability in improving Spanish interoperability with the US and Alliance nations, stated the Defense Security Cooperation Agency release. The foreign military sales deal would include two mobile ground control stations, as well as multi-spectral targeting sensors and Lynx synthetic aperture radar for the RPAs, and requisite training and maintenance support. Spain’s Ejército del Aire plans to employ the MQ-9s for “homeland security, peacekeeping, peace enforcement, counterinsurgency, and counterterrorism operations,” according to the release. In addition to the Air Force, NATO allies France, Italy, and the United Kingdom operate the Reaper.
Airmen basic rarely go on to become four-star generals, but one who did retired last week after a 42 year career that saw him rise from a lowly slick-sleeve to the head of one of the Air Force’s most important major commands.