US State Department OKs Spain Buying MQ-9 Reaper Drones

The US State Department has cleared the sale of MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles to Spain's military.
The sale, which covers four MQ-9 Block 5 aircraft and associated equipment, parts and logistical support, would be worth an estimated $243 million.
Spain is looking to join the United Kingdom, France, Italy and the US as countries operating the MQ-9.
Spain intends to use the drones purely for ISR, so the vehicles will not be armed.
In addition to the systems themselves, the sale would include 20 Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial Guidance United (three per aircraft plus eight spares); two Mobile Ground Control Stations; five multi-Spectral Targeting Systems (one per aircraft plus one spare); and five Synthetic Aperture Radar, Lynx AN/APY-8 (also one per aircraft plus a spare).
Although the notice that the State Department has cleared the sale was posted on the DSCA's website, that does not mean the sale has been completed. Congress must still OK it, and then a contract must be drawn up and finalized.
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