The US Air Force has selected Amentum for a five-year contract worth up to $995 million to increase the readiness and performance of MQ-9 Reaper drones. Under the agreement, Amentum will provide maintenance personnel, weapons-handling support, and ground-systems expertise at Air Force sites both in the US and abroad. The program focuses heavily on advancing MQ-9 capabilities through satellite-based launch and recovery, sensor upgrades, and improved ground-control efficiency. The award builds on a series of modernization initiatives across the Air Force’s unmanned fleet, including enhancements to Global Hawks, MQ-9 sensor expansion contracts for Northrop Grumman, Boeing’s AI-enabled wingman drone efforts, and Kratos’ development of next-generation UAS platforms. The service is increasingly emphasizing autonomous mission planning and resilient data-sharing technology to prepare unmanned aircraft for future contested operations.
