The 2408 software version brings enhanced armament and communications-intelligence capabilities. The testing was conducted by France’s military aviation expertise centre, along with support from the DGA Flight Test Center of Expertise and Test, and backed by the French Air and Space Force.
During the test flights, two Dassault Rafale multirole fighter jets accompanied the Reaper UAV. The upgrade to the v2408 software is expected to be applied to all French Reapers by the end of 2023. This upgrade is of significant importance, allowing the drones to carry out operations within French territory, as well as training activities on French soil with fewer constraints.
The first French Block 5 UAV was delivered in January 2020, but it remained inactive due to a lack of flight clearance from the defence procurement agency DGA. It wasn’t until March that the first flight of a Block 5 Reaper took place, followed by the first operational mission conducted in May 2021.
