Future Weapon Technology

Manufacturer: General Atomics – a subsidiary of General Dynamics [NYSE: GD]

The photo shows the Hunter-Killer UAVReaper which is basically a predator on steroids. Fully loaded, this unmanned air vehicle can take out a small country’s defenses before the rest of the crew move in. The Reaper UAV used to be known as the Predator 2 or Predator B. The armament of the UAV which has a maximum ceiling of 50,000 ft include Hellfire missiles and laser guided bombs. In fact, this beast can carry over 14 Hellfire Missiles compared to 2 on the original predator. The Reaper can also remain airborne for up to 14 flight hours. Basically, the original Predator provided a testbed for this UAV technology. Once it was proven that a Predator could accurately fire hellfire missiles, it was decided that a larger version should be produced that would increase the UAV capabilities. At about the same size as an A-10 Thunderbolt, the Reaper is almost twice the size as the orginial Predator. Likewise, high-altitude and long-endurance features were added such as de-icers for the wings and a more powerful turboprop. Basically, this thing is the wave of the future.