Fy 13 full rate production of the gray eagle unmanned aircraft system and fy 12 backfill requirements

This $1,053,755,509.03 contract funds the full-rate production (FRP) of the MQ-1C Gray Eagle Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) in Fiscal Year 2013, along with backfill requirements from Fiscal Year 2012. The Gray Eagle is a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) tactical UAV developed by General Atomics for the U.S. Army, featuring up to 25-36 hours endurance, operations at 25,000-29,000 feet, heavy fuel engine compatibility, automatic takeoff/landing, and payloads including EO/IR sensors, SAR radar, communications relay, and up to four Hellfire missiles for reconnaissance, surveillance, and attack missions. Full-rate production was planned to begin around April 2013 following initial testing and deployment of early units.