fbpx
Wikipedia

General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper

February 09, 2023

The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (sometimes called Predator B) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) primarily for the United States Air Force (USAF). The MQ-9 and other UAVs are referred to as Remotely Piloted Vehicles/Aircraft (RPV/RPA) by the USAF to indicate their human ground controllers.[2][3]

MQ-9 Reaper / Predator B
U.S. Air Force MQ-9A Reaper armed with a Paveway
Role Unmanned combat aerial vehicle
National origin United States
Manufacturer General Atomics Aeronautical Systems
First flight 2 February 2001; 22 years ago (2001-02-02)
Introduction 1 May 2007
Status In service
Primary users United States Air Force
Number built 316+ as of 2016[1]
Developed from General Atomics MQ-1 Predator
Developed into

The MQ-9 is the first hunter-killer UAV designed for long-endurance, high-altitude surveillance.[4] In 2006, the then–Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force General T. Michael Moseley said: "We've moved from using UAVs primarily in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance roles before Operation Iraqi Freedom, to a true hunter-killer role with the Reaper."[4]

The MQ-9 is a larger, heavier, and more capable aircraft than the earlier General Atomics MQ-1 Predator; it can be controlled by the same ground systems used to control MQ-1s. The Reaper has a 950-shaft-horsepower (712 kW) turboprop engine (compared to the Predator's 115 hp (86 kW) piston engine). The greater power allows the Reaper to carry 15 times more ordnance payload and cruise at about three times the speed of the MQ-1.[4] The aircraft is monitored and controlled by aircrew in the Ground Control Station (GCS), including weapons employment.[5]

In 2008, the New York Air National Guard 174th Attack Wing began the transition from F-16 piloted fighters to MQ-9A Reapers, becoming the first fighter unit to convert entirely to unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) use.[6] In March 2011, the U.S. Air Force was training more pilots for advanced unmanned aerial vehicles than for any other single weapons system.[7] The Reaper is also used by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the militaries of several other countries.

The USAF operated over 300 MQ-9 Reapers as of May 2021,[8] with 16 additional units on the way as authorized by the FY2021 Congressional budget. Several new equipment upgrades had been retrofitted onto some of the active MQ-9 aircraft to improve performance in "high-end combat situations" as of that date, to be included in all further procurements of the MQ-9. 2035 is the projected end of the service life of the MQ-9 fleet.[8]

Development

Origins

The General Atomics "Predator B-001", a proof-of-concept aircraft, first flew on 2 February 2001. Abraham Karem is the designer of the Predator.[9] The B-001 was powered by an AlliedSignal Garrett TPE331-10T turboprop engine with 950 shaft horsepower (710 kW). It had an airframe that was based on the standard Predator airframe, except with an enlarged fuselage and wings lengthened from 48 feet (15 m) to 66 feet (20 m). The B-001 had a speed of 220 knots (410 km/h; 250 mph) and could carry a payload of 750 pounds (340 kg) to an altitude of 50,000 feet (15,000 m) with an endurance of 30 hours.[10]

The company refined the design, taking it in two separate directions. The first was a jet-powered version; "Predator B-002" was fitted with a Williams FJ44-2A turbofan engine with 10.2 kilonewtons (2,300 lbf; 1,040 kgf) thrust. It had payload capacity of 475 pounds (215 kg), a ceiling of 60,000 feet (18 km) and endurance of 12 hours. The USAF ordered two airframes for evaluation, delivered in 2007.[11][unreliable source?] The first two airframes delivered with prototypes B-001 and B-002 (now in the USAF museum at Wright-Patterson AFB). B-002 was originally equipped with the FJ-44 engine but it was removed and a TPE-331-10T was installed so that the USAF could take delivery of two aircraft in the same configuration.

The second direction the design took was the "Predator B-003", referred to by GA as the "Altair", which has a new airframe with an 84-foot (26 m) wingspan and a takeoff weight of approximately 7,000 pounds (3,200 kg). Like the Predator B-001, it is powered by a TPE-331-10YGD turboprop. This variant has a payload capacity of 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg), a maximum ceiling of 52,000 feet (16 km), and an endurance of 36 hours.[12][13]

In October 2001, the USAF signed a contract for an initial pair of Predator Bs (001 and 002) for evaluation. Designated YMQ-9s due to their prototype role, they were delivered in 2002.[10] The USAF referred to it as "Predator B" until it was renamed "Reaper". The USAF aimed for the Predator B to provide an improved "deadly persistence" capability, flying over a combat area night-and-day waiting for a target to present itself, complementing piloted attack aircraft, typically used to drop larger quantities of ordnance on a target, while a cheaper RPV can operate almost continuously using ground controllers working in shifts, but carrying less ordnance.[13]

Operation

 
The satellite antenna and sensors of an NOAA-NASA flight demonstrator, 2005

MQ-9 Reaper crews (pilots and sensor operators), stationed at bases such as Creech Air Force Base, near Las Vegas, Nevada, can hunt for targets and observe terrain using multiple sensors, including a thermographic camera. One claim was that the onboard camera is able to read a license plate from two miles (3.2 km) away.[14] An operator's command takes 1.2 seconds to reach the drone via a satellite link.

The MQ-9 is fitted with six stores pylons. The inner stores pylons can carry a maximum of 1,500 pounds (680 kg) each and allow carriage of external fuel tanks. The mid-wing stores pylons can carry a maximum of 600 pounds (270 kg) each, while the outer stores pylons can carry a maximum of 200 pounds (91 kg) each. An MQ-9 with two 1,000 pounds (450 kg) external fuel tanks and 1,000 pounds (450 kg) of munitions has an endurance of 42 hours.[13] The Reaper has an endurance of 14 hours when fully loaded with munitions.[4]

The MQ-9 carries a variety of weapons including the GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bomb, the AGM-114 Hellfire II air-to-ground missiles, the AIM-9 Sidewinder,[14] and the GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM). Tests are underway to allow for the addition of the AIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missile.[citation needed]

By October 2007, the USAF owned nine Reapers,[15] and by December 2010 had 57 with plans to buy another 272, for a total of 329 Reapers.[16] Critics have stated that the USAF's insistence on qualified pilots flying RPVs is a bottleneck to expanding deployment. USAF Major General William Rew stated on 5 August 2008, "For the way we fly them right now"—fully integrated into air operations and often flying missions alongside manned aircraft—"we want pilots to fly them."[17] This reportedly has exacerbated losses of USAF aircraft in comparison with US Army operations.[18] In March 2011, U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Robert Gates stated that, while manned aircraft are needed, the USAF must recognize "the enormous strategic and cultural implications of the vast expansion in remotely piloted vehicles..." and stated that as the service buys manned fighters and bombers, it must give equal weight to unmanned drones and "the service's important role in the cyber and space domains."[7]

In 2013, the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) sought the ability to pack up an MQ-9 in less than eight hours, fly it anywhere in the world aboard a C-17 Globemaster III, and then have it ready to fly in another eight hours to support special operations teams at places with no infrastructure. MQ-1 and MQ-9 drones must fly aboard cargo aircraft to travel long distances as they lack the refueling technology or speed to travel themselves; the C-17 is large enough to carry the aircraft and support systems and can land on short runways. Pilots traveling with the Reaper will use the ground control station to launch and land the aircraft, while most of the flying will be done by US-based pilots.[19]

Testbed and upgrades

In November 2012, Raytheon completed ground verification tests for the ADM-160 MALD and MALD-J for integration onto the Reaper for an unmanned suppression of enemy air defenses capability.[20] On 12 April 2013, a company-owned MQ-9 equipped with a jamming pod and digital receiver/exciter successfully demonstrated its electronic warfare capability at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, performing its mission in coordination with over 20 participating aircraft.[21] A second electronic warfare test, fitted with the Northrop Grumman Pandora EW System, was conducted on 22 October 2013 with other unmanned aircraft and Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowlers, showing effectiveness in a multi-node approach against a more capable IADS.[22]

In 2011, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) reported its interest in using the Reaper and its MTS-B sensor to provide firing quality data for early interception of ballistic missile launches. The MDA is exploring concepts to use the UAV's EO/IR sensor to achieve "launch-on-remote" capabilities with missile interceptors before detection by Aegis radars. At least two aircraft would be needed to triangulate a target to provide high-fidelity data. The MTS-B includes short and mid-wave IR bands, optimal for tracking launch and rocket burn.[23]

In 2013, the MDA terminated plans to build a follow-on to the two orbiting Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS) satellites due to near-term costs, opting to continue testing the Reaper for ballistic missile target discrimination. The MDA planned to test the improved MTS-C sensor, which adds a long-wave IR detector optimized for tracking cold bodies such as missiles and warheads after booster burnout, or plumes and exhaust. The goal is to use data from multiple high-flying UAVs to provide an off-board cue to launch an SM-3 missile from an Aegis ship.[24] Two Reapers demonstrated their ability to track ballistic missiles using their MTS-B EO/IR turret during a test in late June 2016.[25]

In June 2015, a study by the USAF's Scientific Advisory Board identified several improvements for operating the Reaper in contested airspace; adding readily available sensors, weapons, and threat detection and countermeasures could increase situational awareness and enable riskier deployments. Suggestions included a radar warning receiver (RWR) to know when it's being targeted, air-to-air and miniature air-to-ground weapons, manned-unmanned teaming, multi-UAV control, automatic take-offs and landings, and precision navigation and timing systems to fly in GPS-denied areas. Another idea was redesigned ground control stations with user-friendly video game-like controllers and touchscreen maps to access data without overwhelming operators.[26][27]

In October 2015, Air Force deputy chief of staff for ISR Robert Otto suggested redesigning the MQ-9's GCS to be operated by one person for most missions rather than two (to fly and work the sensors) to simplify operations and reduce manpower requirements by hundreds of sensor operators. Introducing an auto-land capability would also reduce the Reaper's manpower requirements to staff launch and recovery teams.[28] Automatic take-off and landing capabilities are already present in the RQ-4 Global Hawk and MQ-1C Gray Eagle, and are planned to be provided to the MQ-9 in 2017. The Air Force requires the manually loaded Reaper to operate from a runway at least 5,000 ft (1.5 km) long, but automated take-offs and landings would enable it to operate from a 3,000 ft (0.91 km) runway.[29]

In April 2017, an MQ-9 Block 5 flew with a Raytheon ALR-69A RWR in its payload pod to demonstrate the aircraft's ability to conduct missions in the proximity of threat radars and air defenses, the first time this capability was demonstrated on a remotely piloted aircraft.[30] In September 2020, a Reaper was flown carrying two Hellfire missiles on each of the stations previously reserved for 500 lb bombs or fuel tanks. A software upgrade doubled the aircraft's capacity to eight missiles.[31][32][33]

Pentagon wants to upgrade MQ-9 Reaper with directed-energy weapons such as low-powered laser and high-powered microwave beams. A high-field optical module to act on the human nervous system is also under consideration.[34]

In September 2020, GA-ASI conducted captive carry tests of the Sparrowhawk small UAS on the MQ-9, with the Reaper itself acting as a drone mothership. The MQ-9B Sky Guardian will be able to carry up to four Sparrowhawks upon the sUAS's entry to service.[35]

Design

 
An MQ-9 taxiing in Afghanistan, 2007

A typical MQ-9 system consists of multiple aircraft, ground control station, communications equipment, maintenance spares, and personnel. A military flight crew includes a pilot, sensor operator, and Mission Intelligence Coordinator.[5] The aircraft is powered by a 950 horsepower (710 kW) turboprop, with a maximum speed of about 260 knots (480 km/h; 300 mph) and a cruising speed of 150–170 knots (170–200 mph; 280–310 km/h).[36]

With a 66 ft (20 m) wingspan, and a maximum payload of 3,800 lb (1,700 kg), the MQ-9 can be armed with a variety of weaponry, including Hellfire missiles and 500 lb (230 kg) laser-guided bomb units.[36] Its endurance is 30 hours when conducting ISR missions, which decreases to 23 hours if it is carrying a full weapons load.[37] The Reaper has a range of 1,000 nmi (1,150 mi; 1,850 km)[dubious – discuss] and an operational altitude of 50,000 ft (15,000 m), which makes it especially useful for long-term loitering operations, both for surveillance and support of ground troops.[38]

 
The first MQ-9 arriving at Creech AFB, March 2007

The Predator and Reaper were designed for military operations and not intended to operate among crowded airline traffic. The aircraft typically lack systems capable of complying with FAA See-And-Avoid regulations.[39] In 2005, requests were made for MQ-9s to be used in search and rescue operations following Hurricane Katrina but, as there was no FAA authorization in place at the time, it was not used. On 18 May 2006, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a certificate of authorization allowing MQ-1 and MQ-9 UAVs to fly in U.S. civil airspace to search for survivors of disasters.[40]

An MQ-9 can adopt various mission kits and combinations of weapons and sensors payloads to meet combat requirements. Its Raytheon AN/AAS-52[citation needed] multi-spectral targeting sensor suite includes a color/monochrome daylight TV, infrared, and image-intensified TV with laser rangefinder/laser designator to designate targets for laser guided munitions.[citation needed] The aircraft is also equipped with the Lynx Multi-mode Radar that contains synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that can operate in both spotlight and strip modes, and ground moving target indication (GMTI) with Dismount Moving Target Indicator (DMTI) and Maritime Wide-Area Search (MWAS) capabilities.[41]

The Reaper was used as a test bed for Gorgon Stare, a wide-area surveillance sensor system.[42] Increment 1 of the system was first fielded in March 2011 on the Reaper and could cover an area of 16 km2 (6.2 sq mi); increment 2, incorporating ARGUS-IS and expanding the coverage area to 100 km2 (39 sq mi), achieved initial operating capability (IOC) in early 2014. The system has 368 cameras capable of capturing five million pixels each to create an image of about 1.8 billion pixels; video is collected at 12 frames per second, producing several terabytes of data per minute.[43]

In January 2012, General Atomics released a new trailing arm design for the Reaper's main landing gear. Benefits include an over 30% increase in landing weight capacity, a 12% increase in gross takeoff weight (from 10,500 pounds (4,800 kg) to 11,700 pounds (5,300 kg)), a maintenance-free shock absorber (eliminating the need for nitrogen pressurization), a fully rejected takeoff brake system, and provisions for automatic takeoff and landing capability and Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) field upgrades.[44] In April 2012, General Atomics announced possible upgrades to USAF Reapers, including two extra 100 US gallons (380 L) fuel pods under the wings to increase endurance to 37 hours. The wingspan can also be increased to 88 feet (27 m), increasing endurance to 42 hours.[45][46]

The USAF has bought 38 Reaper Extended Range (ER) versions, carrying external fuel tanks (which don't affect weapon capacity), the heavy-weight landing gear, a four-bladed propeller, a new fuel management system which ensures fuel and thermal balance among external tank, wing, and fuselage fuel sources, and an alcohol-water injection (AWI) system to shorten required runway takeoff length. These features increase endurance from 27 to 33–35 hours, while the company is still pitching the lengthened wing option. The Reaper ER first flew operationally in August 2015.[47][48]

The aircraft also has the sensor ball replaced with a high-definition camera, better communications so ground controllers can see the higher quality video, software to enable automatic detection of threats and tracking of 12 moving targets at once, and the ability to "super ripple" fire missiles within 0.32 seconds of each other.[49]

On 25 February 2016, General Atomics announced a successful test flight of the new Predator-B/ER version. This new version has had the wingspan extended to 79 feet, increasing its endurance to 40 hours. Other improvements include "short-field takeoff and landing performance and spoilers on the wings which enable precision automatic landings. The wings also have provisions for leading-edge de-ice and integrated low- and high-band RF antennas."[50]

Operational history

U.S. Air Force

 
MQ-1 UAV Flight Crew at Joint Base Balad (LSA Anaconda), Iraq, 7 August 2007

On 1 May 2007, the USAF's 432nd Wing was activated to operate MQ-9 Reaper as well as MQ-1 Predator UAVs at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. The pilots first conducted combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan in the summer of 2007.[51] On 28 October 2007, the Air Force Times reported an MQ-9 had achieved its first "kill", successfully firing a Hellfire missile against Afghanistan insurgents in the Deh Rawood region of the mountainous Oruzgan province.[52] By 6 March 2008, according to USAF Lieutenant General Gary North, the Reaper had attacked 16 targets in Afghanistan using 500 lb (230 kg) bombs and Hellfire missiles.[53]

On 17 July 2008, the USAF began flying Reaper missions within Iraq from Balad Air Base.[54][55] It was reported on 11 August 2008 that the 174th Fighter Wing would consist entirely of Reapers.[56] By March 2009 the USAF had 28 operational Reapers.[57] Beginning in September 2009, Reapers were deployed by the Africa Command to the Seychelles islands for use in Indian Ocean anti-piracy patrols.[58]

On 13 September 2009, positive control of an MQ-9 was lost during a combat mission over Afghanistan, after which the control-less drone started flying towards the Afghan border with Tajikistan.[59] An F-15E Strike Eagle fired an AIM-9 missile at the drone, successfully destroying its engine. Before the drone impacted the ground, contact was reestablished with the drone, and it was flown into a mountain to destroy it. It was the first US drone to be destroyed intentionally by allied forces.[60]

By July 2010, thirty-eight Predators and Reapers had been lost during combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, another nine were lost in training missions in the U.S.[61] In 2010, the USAF conducted over 33,000 close air support missions, a more-than-20 percent increase compared with 2009.[7] By March 2011, the USAF had 48 Predator and Reaper combat air patrols flying in Iraq and Afghanistan compared with 18 in 2007.[7]

 
A MQ-9A Reaper in Afghanistan, 2007

As of March 2011, the USAF was training more pilots for advanced unmanned aerial vehicles than for any other single weapons system.[7] In 2012, the Reaper, Predator and Global Hawk were described as "... the most accident-prone aircraft in the Air Force fleet."[62]

In October 2011, the USAF began operating Reapers out of Arba Minch Airport in Ethiopia for surveillance-only operations in Somalia.[63] In 2012, both Reapers and Predators were deployed in Benghazi, Libya after the attack that killed the US ambassador in that city.[64] In February 2013, the U.S. stationed a Predator at Niamey to provide intelligence for French forces during Operation Serval in Mali; it was later replaced by two MQ-9 Reapers. In April 2013, one of these Reapers crashed on a surveillance flight due to mechanical failure.[65]

On 22 October 2013, the USAF's fleets of MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper UAVs reached 2,000,000 flight hours. The RPA program began in the mid-1990s, taking 16 years for them to reach 1 million flight hours; the 2 million hour mark was reached just two and a half years later.[66]

The high demand for UAVs has caused Air Combat Command to increase pilot output from 188 in 2015 to 300 in 2017 at Holloman.[67]

On 13 November 2015, the Pentagon reported that an MQ-9 had killed ISIL member Mohammed Emwazi, popularly known as "Jihadi John", who was responsible for executing several Western prisoners.[68]

In 2015, a record number (20) of USAF drones crashed; investigators identified three parts of the starter-generator that were susceptible to breakdowns, but could not determine why they were failing. Col. William S. Leister informed Pentagon officials that investigators from the USAF, General Atomics and Skurka had investigated the problem for more than a year. The team, he said, had identified "numerous manufacturing quality issues" yet had been unable to determine the exact cause of the failures.[69]

On 2 October 2017, U.S. Central Command stated that an MQ-9 had been shot down by Houthi air defense systems over Sanaa in western Yemen the previous day. The aircraft took off from Chabelley Airport in Djibouti, and was armed.[70][71][72]

On 18 September 2018, the USAF announced that an MQ-9 armed with an air-to-air missile successfully shot down a smaller target drone in November 2017. The drone was operated by the 432nd Wing.[73] While the destruction of a target drone is a routine USAF exercise, this event was the first instance of a Reaper destroying a small, maneuvering aerial target.

On 6 June 2019, Houthis shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper over Yemen. According to United States Central Command, it was shot down by an SA-6 surface-to-air missile that was enabled with Iranian assistance.[74] On 21 August 2019, another un-armed MQ-9 was shot down by Houthis over Dhamar, Yemen,[75] by a Yemini made Fater-1 missile, an improved SA-6.[76]

On 23 November 2019, a US MQ-9 Reaper was shot down by a Pantsir system operated by the Libyan National Army or Wagner Group over Tripoli, Libya. According to journalist David Cenciotti, the drone was lost after being jammed by Russian Wagner militias working in support of the Libyan National Army.[77]

On 3 January 2020, a US MQ-9 missile strike at Baghdad International Airport killed Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Iranian Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces.[78]

On 18 August 2020, US Department of Defense announced that two US MQ-9 Reapers had crashed in a mid-air collision over Syria.[79][80] However, claims from local media said that at least one drone might have been shot down by Syrian Opposition rebel fighters or Turkish forces.[81][82]

In April 2021, U.S. and Polish militaries have agreed on a long-negotiated plan to increase the American presence in Poland with two units of MQ-9 Reapers deployed by the USAF.[83]

On 14 July 2022, a MQ-9 Reaper operated by the 25th Attack Group crashed during a training mission in Romania. The MQ-9 drones have been deployed to the Romanian 71st Air Base in 2021, starting their operational flights on 1 February 2021.[84][85]

NASA

NASA Predator B variants
 
NASA's Predator B, Altair variant
 
NASA's Predator B, Ikhana variant

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) initially expressed interest in a production version of the B-002 turbofan-powered variant,[13] but instead leased an unarmed Reaper variant, which carries the GA-ASI company name "Altair". Altair is one of the first three "Predator-B" airframes. The other two airframes, known as "Predator-B 001" and "Predator-B 002", had a maximum gross weight of 7,500 pounds (3,400 kg).[86]

The Altair differs from these models in that it has an 86-foot (26 m) long wingspan (20-foot (6.1 m) greater than early and current MQ-9s). The Altair has enhanced avionics systems to better enable flights in FAA-controlled civil airspace and demonstrate "over-the-horizon" command and control capability from a ground station. These aircraft are used by NASA's Earth Science Enterprise as part of the NASA ERAST Program to perform on-location science missions.[86]

In November 2006, NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center obtained an MQ-9 (and mobile ground control station), named Ikhana, for the Suborbital Science Program within the Science Mission Directorate.[87] In 2007, Ikhana was used to survey the Southern California wildfires, supporting firefighter deployments based upon the highest need. The California Office of Emergency Services requested NASA support for the Esperanza Fire, and the General Atomics Altair was launched less than 24 hours later on a 16-hour mission to map the fire's perimeter. The fire mapping research is a joint project with NASA and the US Forest Service.[88][89]

The NASA Ikhana was used to survey the descent of the Orion Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1) module on its first test mission 5 December 2014. The aircraft loitered at 27,000 ft (8,200 m), used its IR camera to detect the capsule, then switched to the optical camera to observe its descent through parachute deployment and landing in the Pacific Ocean.[90]

U.S. Homeland Security

U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Predator B
 
CBP's Predator B
 
CBP's Predator B, Guardian variant
A CBP Predator B directs border agents towards a migrant group crossing the US-Mexico border using thermal video, circa 2008

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operated nine MQ-9s in August 2012. Two were based in North Dakota at Grand Forks Air Force Base, four were based in Arizona, at Fort Huachuca and one was based at the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas.[91] These aircraft were equipped with GA-ASI's Lynx synthetic aperture radar and Raytheon's MTS-B electro-optical infrared sensors.[92]

The CBP also had two maritime MQ-9s called Guardians, based at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas.[93] The Guardians were equipped with the SeaVue marine search radar; their electro-optical infrared sensor was optimized for maritime operations.[91] The CBP operates one MQ-9 Guardian jointly with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) out of land-based stations in Florida and Texas.[94]

The United States Department of Homeland Security initially ordered one Predator B for border protection duty, referred to as MQ-9 CBP-101. It began operations 4 October 2005 and crashed in the Arizona desert on 25 April 2006. The US's NTSB determined that the crash's most likely cause was pilot error by the ground-based pilot, inadvertently shutting down the UAV's engine by failing to follow the checklist.[95] During its operational period, the aircraft flew 959 hours on patrol and played a role in 2,309 arrests. It also contributed to the seizure of four vehicles and 8,267 pounds (3,750 kg) of marijuana.[96]

A second Predator B, called "CBP-104" (initially referred to as "CBP-102"), was delivered in September 2006 and commenced limited border protection operations on 18 October 2006. The president's FY2006 emergency supplemental budget request added $45 million for the program and the FY2007 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill added an additional $20 million. In October 2006, GA-ASI announced a $33.9 million contract to supply two more Predator B systems by the fall of 2007.[97] On 16 February 2009, the program was further expanded to include patrols of the Canada–US border.[98]

On 14 October 2013, an MQ-9 began patrolling the Manitoba portion of the U.S.-Canada border. The UAV is based at Grand Forks Air Force Base and will watch the 400 km (250 mi)-long border. The drone will not carry weapons and needs permission to enter Canadian airspace. U.S. authorities fear that drug smugglers, migrants, and terrorists may exploit the long border. The use of the unmanned surveillance aircraft is an enhancement of the partnership between U.S. and Canadian agencies.[citation needed]

In January 2014, Customs and Border Protection grounded its UAVs temporarily after an unmanned aircraft was ditched off the coast of California by the operator due to a mechanical failure on 27 January 2014.[99]

On 29 May 2020, during the George Floyd protests, CBP flew an unarmed Predator B drone above Minneapolis to watch protesters. The agency said it was at the request of federal law enforcement in Minneapolis.[100][101]

Other users

Belgium

In January 2018, the Belgian Ministry of Defence reportedly decided on the MQ-9 to fulfill its medium-altitude long-range UAV requirement. Ministry officials stated that a request for information had been sent to potential suppliers of the system, and that they had received responses from all of them.[102] In October 2018, Belgium confirmed its selection of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian variant, adding that it would be considered a "reconnaissance" asset, suggesting it will not be used to carry weapons.[103][104] In March 2019, the US Department of State approved the sale of four MQ-9B SkyGuardian UAVs to Belgium for $600 million, pending approval by US Congress.[105][106] In July 2022, work began on adapting the Florennes Air Base to host, fly and maintain the planes.[citation needed]

Dominican Republic

The Predator UAV "Guardian" has been used by the Dominican Republic, under U.S. supervision and funding, against drug trafficking from mid-2012.[107]

France

On 31 May 2013, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian confirmed the order of two MQ-9 Reapers, to be delivered by the end of 2013. It was chosen to replace the EADS Harfang and was picked over the Israeli Heron TP.[108] On 27 June 2013, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to France for 16 unarmed MQ-9s, associated equipment, ground control hardware, and support, worth up to $1.5 billion total.[109] On 26 August 2013, France and the US Department of Defense concluded the deal for 16 Reapers and 8 ground control stations, with French operators beginning training.[110]

On 24 September 2013, France's first pair of MQ-9 pilots conducted a two-hour training sortie at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. Both French pilots had prior UAV experience and went through a five-week ground-based training course and 5 hours on a flight simulator before the first flight. Two additional crews were also receiving instruction at the facility. General Atomics is due to deliver two Reapers and one ground control station to the French Air Force by the end of 2013.[111] On 26 November 2013, France declared that six pilots in three teams were operational, following 100 hours on flight simulators and 4 flights. French MQ-9s were first put into action in January 2014 at Niamey Air Base in Niger for border reconnaissance in the Sahel desert.[112]

On 16 January 2014, France's first MQ-9 flight occurred from Niger. The first two Reapers to enter French service are designated Block 1 and use U.S. equipment; further orders are to be modified with European payloads such as sensors and datalinks.[113] On 31 March 2014, French Air Force Reapers accumulated 500 flight hours in support of Operation Serval.[114] In July 2014, a French MQ-9 helped to locate the wreckage of Air Algérie Flight 5017, which had crashed in Mali.[115]

Germany

Germany made a request to purchase five Reapers and four ground control stations, plus related support material and training. The request, being made through the Foreign Military Sales process, was presented to Congress through the Defense Security Cooperation Agency on 1 August 2008 and is valued at US$205 million.[116][117] However, Germany did not go through with this procurement for the time being and decided to lease the IAI Heron offered by IAI and Rheinmetall instead, initially for the duration of one year, representing a stop-gap measure before a long-term decision on a MALE-system is being made.[118][119][120][121]

Greece

On 21 April 2022, a well-known Greek military journalist, revealed in an interview that the Hellenic Air Force is discussing the purchase of 3 MQ-9 UCAVs along with the Israeli Heron TPs. Given that the US Air Force has long been operating MQ-9s from Larissa Air Base, Greece has some past experience with it from joint exercises.[122] On 5 July 2022, the Hellenic Parliament approved the acquisition of 3 MQ-9B SeaGuardian UAVs along with 2 ground stations.[123] On 28 July 2022, the Greek Minister of Nation Defence, Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, confirmed the acquisition of the 3 UAVs.[124]

India

In June 2017, the US State Department approved the sale of 22 drones to India, costing around $2–3 billion.[125] As of February 2020, a deal to purchase 30 drones with 10 drones for each of the three Indian armed services, was expected to be signed by the end of the fiscal year.[126][127][128] In November 2020, the Indian Navy began operating two leased MQ-9B SeaGuardians. The lease agreement was valid for one year and has been extended subsequently.[129] The drones are deployed at the Naval Air Station Rajali located in Tamil Nadu.[130] and it had logged close to 3,000 hours covering over 14 million square miles of operating area by August 2022.[131] In February 2022, it was reported that Indian Navy had put the deal on the backburner and was instead looking at more indigenous options from the DRDO as well as upgrading its current fleet of IAI Heron drones.[132] On 27 February 2022, PTI reported that the procurement for the 30 armed Predator B drones - 10 each for the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force is in the advanced stage and disputed earlier reports of the deal being put on the backburner with India reportedly providing "good feedback" on the SeaGuardians already on lease.[133]

Italy

On 1 August 2008, Italy submitted a FMS request through the Defense Security Cooperation Agency for four aircraft, four ground stations and five years of maintenance support, all valued at US$330 million.[116][134] Italy ordered two more aircraft in November 2009.[135] On 30 May 2012, it was reported that the U.S. planned to sell kits to arm Italy's six Reapers with Hellfire missiles and laser-guided bombs.[136] However Gen. Alberto Rosso has expressed frustration at American delays in integrating additional weapons onto the platform and suggested that Italy may have to seek UAS alternatives.[137] Italian Reapers were used:

  • in Libya, since 10 August 2011,[138] as part of its contribution to NATO's Operation Unified Protector (flew about 300 hours)
  • in Kosovo, since 13 March 2012[139] inbound NATO KFOR "Joint Enterprise" operation
  • on "Mare Nostrum" mission (Mediterranean sea, migrants search and rescue operation) by October 2013[140]
  • into Afghanistan theater by January 2014[141] (to replace Predator A+).

On 3 November 2015, the U.S. approved a deal covering weapons integration onto Italy's Reaper aircraft, which would make it the first country outside the UK to weaponize the drone. The potential for increased contribution to NATO coalition operations improved operational flexibility, and enhanced survivability for Italian forces prompted the request.[142]

On 20 November 2019, an Italian Air Force MQ-9 was shot down by a Pantsir system operated by the Libyan National Army or Wagner Group, near the city of Tarhuna, Libya.[143] The Libyan National Army claimed to have shot down the drone that, based on the initial reports, was thought to be a Turkish operated drone, supporting the opposed Government of National Accord. The Italian Defense confirmed the loss stating the cause of the crash is under investigation.[144]

Netherlands

On 19 June 2013, General Atomics and Fokker Technologies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to offer the MQ-9 Reaper to the Dutch government for their need of a MALE UAV. The MOU recognizes that Fokker will assist in maintenance and support of the aircraft in the Netherlands if a deal goes through.[145]

On 21 November 2013, the Dutch Minister of Defense announced that the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) has selected the MQ-9 Reaper Block-V as its new MALE UAV. The new MALE UAV 306 squadron will be based at Leeuwarden Air Base. In July 2018 the Dutch government signed a Letter of Acceptance for the acquisition through the Foreign Military Sales process.[146]

The Dutch MQ-9 is to have the Synthetic Aperture Radar with the Maritime Search option and also a special ground search radar with more range and electronic sensors to detect ground radar and signals. The RNLAF bought four ground stations (two at Homebase, 2 at forward operating base) and four MQ-9s block-V. The aircraft are to reach full operational status in 2023.[citation needed] Four more systems are planned.[147] The decision was also made to arm the reapers[148]

Spain

On 6 August 2015, the Spanish Ministry of Defence announced it would buy four Reaper surveillance aircraft with two ground control stations for €25 million ($27 million) in 2016, costing €171 million over five years. General Atomics will partner with Spanish Company SENER to deliver unarmed versions to Spain, making it the fifth European country to order the Reaper. In addition to selecting the Reaper, Spain is interested in the joint German-French-Italian project to develop a European MALE UAV.[149]

The Defense Department cleared the purchase on 6 October 2015. Spain selected the Reaper over the Heron TP to perform homeland security, counter-insurgency, and counter-terrorism operations.[150] The Spanish government agreed to purchase the system on 30 October.[142] The Reaper was selected over the Heron TP mainly for commonality with NATO allies who also use the airframe. Although Spain's immediate priority is for surveillance, they will eventually try to weaponize the platform. The first two aircraft and first GCS is planned for delivery in 2017, with the third aircraft in 2018 when they achieve IOC, and the last in 2020 achieving full operational capability (FOC).[151]

United Kingdom

 
A British MQ-9A Reaper operating over Afghanistan in 2009

On 27 September 2006, the U.S. Congress was notified by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency that the United Kingdom was seeking to purchase a pair of MQ-9A Reapers. They were initially operated by No. 39 Squadron from Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, later moving to RAF Waddington.[152] A third MQ-9A was in the process of being purchased by the RAF in 2007.[152] On 9 November 2007, the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) announced that its Reapers had begun operations in Afghanistan against the Taliban.[153] In April 2008, following the crash of one of the UK's two Reapers, British special forces were sent to recover sensitive material from the wreckage before it was blown up to prevent the enemy from obtaining it.[154] By May 2011, five Reapers were in operation, with a further five on order.[155]

The second RAF squadron to operate five Reapers is No. XIII Squadron, which was formally activated and commissioned on 26 October 2012.[156] No. 39 Squadron personnel were planned to gradually return to the UK in 2013 and in time both squadrons would each operate five Reapers from RAF Waddington.[157] In April 2013, XIII squadron started full operations from RAF Waddington, exercising control over a complement of 10 Reapers, at that point all based in Afghanistan.[158]

Five Reapers can provide 36 hours of combined surveillance coverage in Afghanistan with individual sorties lasting up to 16 hours. A further five vehicles increases this to 72 hours. In total, RAF Reapers flew 71,000 flight hours in Afghanistan, and dropped 510 guided weapons (compared to 497 for Harrier and Tornado).[159][160]

In April 2013, it was revealed that the MOD was studying the adoption of MBDA's Brimstone missile upon the MQ-9.[161] In December 2013, several successful test firings of the Brimstone missile from a Reaper at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake to support integration onto RAF Reapers.[162] Nine missiles were fired at an altitude of 20,000 ft at distances of 7 to 12 km (4.3 to 7.5 mi) from the targets; all nine scored direct hits against static, accelerating, weaving, and fast remotely controlled targets.[163]

In 2014, the MOD decided that its Reaper fleet will be brought into the RAF's core fleet once operations over Afghanistan cease. Procurement of the MQ-9A was via an urgent operational capability requirement and funded from the Treasury reserve, but induction into the core fleet will have them funded from the MoD's budget. The Reapers were retained for contingent purposes, mainly to perform intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), until its replacement enters service around 2018.[164] On 4 October 2015 David Cameron announced that the RAF would replace its existing fleet of 10 Reapers with more than 20 of the "latest generation of RPAS", named as "Protector",[165][166]

In an April 2016 document, the MoD revealed that Protector will be a version of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian, formally known as Certifiable Predator B (CPB), made to fly in European airspace, to be acquired from 2018 to 2030.[167] In July 2018, it was announced that this aircraft will be designated Protector RG Mk 1 in RAF service, and is to be delivered in 2023.[168]

On 16 October 2014, the MOD announced the deployment of armed Reapers in Operation Shader, the UK's contribution to the United States-led military intervention against Islamic State, the first occasion the UK had used its Reapers outside Afghanistan. The number of aircraft out of the RAF's 10-plane fleet was not disclosed, but it was expected that at least two were sent; more were dispatched as the UK drew down from Afghanistan. RAF Reapers' primary purpose is to provide surveillance support and situational awareness to coalition forces.[169][170] On 10 November 2014, the MoD reported that an RAF Reaper had conducted its first airstrike against Islamic State forces, firing a Hellfire missile at militants placing an IED near Bayji.[171]

RAF Reapers based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus conducted one surveillance mission over Syria in November 2014, four in December 2014, and eight in January 2015. On 7 September 2015, Prime Minister David Cameron announced that two Islamic State fighters from Britain had been killed in an intelligence-led strike by an RAF Reaper near Raqqa, Syria, the first armed use of RAF assets in Syria during the civil war.[172] By January 2016, RAF Reapers had flown 1,000 sorties in support of Operation Shader.[173] Compared to operations in Afghanistan, where RAF Reapers fired 16 Hellfire missiles in 2008, 93 in 2013, and 94 in 2014, in operations against ISIL, 258 Hellfires were fired in 2015.[174]

United Arab Emirates

On 10 November 2020, the US State Department approved the sale of up to 18 MQ-9Bs to the UAE pending approval by Congress.[175][176]

Taiwan

On 3 November 2020, the US State Department approved the sale of 4 MQ-9B, along with Control Stations and Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigations Systems (EGI) with Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) to Taiwan.[177]

Japan

On 15 October 2020, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems conducted validation flights of the SeaGuardian UAV for the Japan Coast Guard (JCG). The test flight was conducted at a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) air base in Hachinohe. Both the JCG and JMSDF have expressed interest in acquiring SeaGuardian UAVs in order to conduct more ocean surveillance.[178][179]

Morocco

After the Israel–Morocco normalization agreement in 2020, the US is to approve the sale of four MQ-9B SeaGuardians to Morocco.[180]

Potential operators

Finland

Finnish Defence Forces is doing test flights with the MQ-9.[181]

Poland

The Polish Ministry of National Defense announced on 28 February 2022 that it plans to purchase an unspecified number of MQ-9 Reaper drones.[182]

Cancelled acquisitions

Australia

In September 2006, the General Atomics Mariner demonstrator aircraft was operated by the Australian Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTO) in an exercise designed to evaluate the aircraft's ability to aid in efforts to stem illegal fishing, drug running and illegal immigration. The Mariner operated from Royal Australian Air Force bases Edinburgh, South Australia and Learmonth, Western Australia in conjunction with a Royal Australian Navy Armidale class patrol boat, the Joint Offshore Protection Command, and the Pilbara Regiment.[183]

In February 2015, it was announced that six RAAF personnel had been sent to Holloman AFB, New Mexico and Creech AFB, Nevada to undergo training.[184]

In August 2015, it was revealed that Australians had begun flying MQ-9s over Syria, the first time Australia expanded operations past Iraq during the Military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Five RAAF personnel were embedded with the USAF 432d Operations Group, which flies armed Reapers, performing operational duties with the unit as MQ-9 system pilots and sensor operators.[185]

In November 2018, the Defence Minister Christopher Pyne announced that Australia would purchase 12 to 16 MQ-9s.[186] In November 2019, Australia announced the selection of the MQ-9B for its armed Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) RPAS requirement under Project Air 7003.[citation needed]

In April 2021, the State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Australia of 12 MQ-9B Reapers and related equipment for an estimated cost of $1.651 billion.[187]

The Australian Government canceled the planned Reaper acquisition in March 2022. The funding intended for the project was redirected to expanding the Australian Signals Directorate.[188]

Variants

SeaGuardian

A navalized Reaper, named Mariner, was proposed for the U.S. Navy's Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) program. It had an increased fuel capacity for an endurance of up to 49 hours.[189] Variations included one for aircraft carrier operations with folding wings for storage, shortened, reinforced landing gear, an arresting hook, cut-down or eliminated ventral flight surfaces and six stores pylons for a total load of 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilograms).[13] The Northrop Grumman RQ-4N was selected as the BAMS winner.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operates two maritime variants of the MQ-9, known as Guardians.[91] The U.S. Coast Guard evaluated the Guardian, including performing joint operations with CBP.[190] CBP and the Coast Guard operate one MQ-9 Guardian jointly out of land-based stations in Florida and Texas.[94]

General Atomics continued with the Naval Reaper concept, turning it into the SeaGuardian. It has an endurance of more than 18 hours and can mount an eight-hour patrol at a radius of 1,200 nmi (1,400 mi; 2,200 km). A key part of its mission set is the Leonardo Seaspray 7500E V2 AESA radar mounted as a centerline pod with inverse synthetic aperture radar that can spot surface targets including ships, submarine periscopes, and people during search and rescue operations.[191]

General Atomics studied testing a sonobuoy launch capability from the Guardian in 2016 to demonstrate its ability to carry them, control them, and send information back to the ground station over a SATCOM link.[192] In November 2020, a company-owned Reaper carried out a trial releasing sonobuoys, then processing information from them to track a training target. This led to the creation of an anti-submarine warfare package for the SeaGuardian, the first self-contained ASW package for a UAS. The package comprises podded sonobuoy dispenser systems (SDS), using a pneumatic launch system to launch 10 A-size or 20 G-size buoys from each pod, and a sonobuoy management and control system (SMCS); the aircraft can carry up to four pods.[191]

MQ-9 Block 5

On 24 May 2012, General Atomics conducted the successful first flight of its upgraded MQ-9 Block 1-plus Reaper. The Block 1-plus version was designed for increased electrical power, secure communications, automatic landing, increased gross takeoff weight (GTOW), weapons growth, and streamlined payload integration capabilities. A new high-capacity starter generator offers increased electrical power capacity to provide growth capacity; a backup generator is also present and is sufficient for all flight-critical functions, improving the electrical power system's reliability via three independent power sources.[193][194]

New communications capabilities, including dual ARC-210 VHF/UHF radios with wingtip antennas, allow for simultaneous communications between multiple air-to-air and air-to-ground parties, secure data links, and an increased data transmission capacity. The new trailing arm main landing gear allows the carriage of heavier payloads or additional fuel. Development and testing were completed, and Milestone C was achieved in September 2012. Follow-on aircraft will be redesignated MQ-9 Block 5.[193][194] On 15 October 2013, the USAF awarded General Atomics a $377.4 million contract for 24 MQ-9 Block 5 Reapers.[195] The MQ-9 Block 5 flew its first combat mission on 23 June 2017.[1]

SkyGuardian

 
The Sky Guardian at Laguna Army Airfield for testing and certification, including a 48.2-hour endurance record and first FAA certification of an unmanned aircraft to fly in civilian air space.[196]

International demand for a MALE RPAS capable of being certified for operation within civilian airspace drove General Atomics to develop a version of the platform known by GA-ASI as MQ-9B SkyGuardian, previously called Certifiable Predator B, to make it compliant with European flight regulations to get more sales in European countries. In order to fly over national airspace, the aircraft meets NATO STANAG 4671 airworthiness requirements with lightning protection, different composite materials, and sense and avoid technology.[197][198]

Performance changes include a 79 ft (24 m) wingspan that has winglets and enough fuel for a 40-hour endurance at 50,000 ft (15,000 m). Features include High Definition EO/IR Full Motion Video sensor, De/Anti-Icing System, TCAS, and Automatic Take-Off & Land. The system also includes a completely redesigned & modernized integrated ground control station with 4 crew stations.[197][198]

On 28 November 2019, the Australian Government announced the selection of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) MQ-9B Sky Guardian as its preferred version of the Predator B for the RAAF's Project AIR 7003 MALE armed remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) requirement.[199]

The SeaGuardian is a proposed version of SkyGuardian but also fitted with Multimode 360 Maritime Surface Search Radar and Automatic identification system (AIS).[198]

Protector

In April 2016, the United Kingdom announced that it intended to place an order for the Certifiable Predator B as part of its Protector MALE UAV program for the Royal Air Force.[200][201] According to the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, the Royal Air Force will operate at least 20 Protector systems by 2025, replacing all of the ten MQ-9A Reapers.[202]

On 15 July 2018, a GA-ASI Company-owned MQ-9B SkyGuardian was flown from the United States to RAF Fairford in the UK for the first transatlantic flight of a MALE UAV. It was displayed at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) air show, where the aircraft was given markings of No. 31 Squadron. This followed an announcement by the RAF's Chief of Air Staff that No. 31 Squadron would be the first RAF Squadron to operate a similar version of the MQ-9B aircraft, to be known as the Protector RG Mark 1 (RG1), starting in 2023.[203][204] In July 2020, the Ministry of Defence signed a contract for three Protector UAVs with an option on an additional thirteen aircraft.[205] It was announced in September 2021 that No. XIII Squadron will become the second Protector squadron.[206]

Protector will be able to carry up to 18 Brimstone 2 missiles or Paveway IV bombs.[207]

Operators

  France
  India
  Italy
  Japan
  • Japan Coast Guard - At least one SeaGuardian in operational use since October 2022.[212]
  Netherlands
  Spain
  United Kingdom
  United States

Specifications (MQ-9A)

 
Honeywell turboprop
 
MQ-9 Reaper taxiing

Data from USAF Fact Sheet,[5] GlobalSecurity.org[225]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 0 onboard, 2 in ground station
  • Length: 36 ft 1 in (11 m)
  • Wingspan: 65 ft 7 in (20 m)
  • Height: 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m)
  • Empty weight: 4,901 lb (2,223 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 10,494 lb (4,760 kg)
  • Fuel capacity: 4,000 lb (1,800 kg)
  • Payload: 3,800 lb (1,700 kg)
    • Internal: 800 lb (360 kg)
    • External: 3,000 lb (1,400 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Honeywell TPE331-10 turboprop, 900 hp (671 kW) with Digital Electronic Engine Control (DEEC)[226]

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 300 mph (482 km/h, 260 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 194 mph (313 km/h, 169 kn) [227]
  • Range: 1,200 mi (1,900 km, 1,000 nmi)
  • Endurance: 14 hours fully loaded[228]
  • Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,420 m)
  • Operational altitude: 25,000 ft (7.5 km)[229]

Armament

  • 7 hardpoints
    • Up to 1,500 lb (680 kg) on the two inboard weapons stations[230]
    • Up to 750 lb (340 kg) on the two middle stations[230]
    • Up to 150 lb (68 kg) on the outboard stations[230]
    • Center station not used
  • Up to four AGM-114 Hellfire air to ground missiles can be carried or four Hellfire missiles and two 500 lb (230 kg) GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs. The 500 lb (230 kg) GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) can also be carried. Testing is underway[needs update] to support the operation of the Air-to-Air Stinger (ATAS). In March 2014, MBDA successfully test fired a dual mode Brimstone missile from a Reaper aircraft on behalf of the UK Ministry of Defence and Royal Air Force.[231] Depending on mission requirements, the MQ-9 Reaper can carry multiple AIM-9X Block 2 missiles.[232]

Avionics

  • AN/DAS-1 MTS-B Multi-Spectral Targeting System[233]
  • AN/APY-8 Lynx II radar[234]
  • Raytheon SeaVue Marine Search Radar (Guardian variants)[91]

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

  1. ^ a b "The Air Force's Newest MQ-9 Reaper Drone Is Now Hunting ISIS". Military.com (Press release). US Air Force. 30 June 2017. from the original on 7 July 2017.
  2. ^ Escutia, Sondra (29 October 2009). "4 remotely piloted vehicle squadrons stand up at Holloman". US Air Force. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  3. ^ Peterson, Kyle (16 December 2009). "You say "drone," I say "remotely piloted"". Reuters. from the original on 26 July 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d . US Air Force. 14 September 2006. Archived from the original on 14 September 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  5. ^ a b c "MQ-9 REAPER fact sheet". US Air Force. 18 August 2010. from the original on 26 August 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
  6. ^ Charles J. Hanley. "Unmanned Reapers bound for Iraq, Afghanistan". Air Force Times. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  7. ^ a b c d e . Department of Defense News Transcript. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 10 April 2011.
  8. ^ a b Insinna, Valerie (26 May 2021). "Get ready for another fight over the future of the MQ-9 Reaper". Defense News.
  9. ^ Whittle, Richard. "The Man Who Invented the Predator". Air & Space Magazine. Air & Space Magazine. from the original on 4 February 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  10. ^ a b . General Atomics. Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  11. ^ "Predator RQ-1 / MQ-1 / MQ-9 Reaper". airforce-technology.com. from the original on 5 March 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  12. ^ Note: endurance figures vary greatly from source to source. The current figure being publicized by the USAF is 14 hours.
  13. ^ a b c d e Greg Goebel (1 March 2010). . Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  14. ^ a b "Reaper: A New Way to Wage War". Time. 1 June 2009. p. 40.
  15. ^ . US Air Force. 10 November 2007. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  16. ^ Spencer Ackerman (14 December 2010). "Air Force Is Through With Predator Drones". Wired. from the original on 5 January 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  17. ^ Shaun Waterman (5 August 2008). "Bigger, Deadlier Reaper Drone Deployed in Iraq". The Washington Times. from the original on 28 June 2009. Retrieved 5 August 2008.
  18. ^ "USAF slammed for pranging Predators on manual". The Register. 29 April 2009. from the original on 3 February 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  19. ^ SOCOM Wants to Deploy MQ-9 Drones to Remote Areas 15 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine – Military.com, 16 September 2013
  20. ^ Raytheon and General Atomics team-up to integrate MALD onto Reaper 18 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine – Flightglobal.com, 13 February 2013
  21. ^ Predator B Successfully Demonstrates Electronic Attack Capability in USMC Exercise 1 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine – Deagel.com, 13 August 2013
  22. ^ GA-ASI & Northrop Grumman Showcase Add’l Unmanned EA Attack Capabilities in 2nd USMC Exercise 3 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine – sUASNews.com, 22 January 2014
  23. ^ US Missile Defense Agency Testing Reaper as Missile Hunter 15 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine – UASvision.com, 24 August 2011
  24. ^ MDA Eyes UAVs For Discrimination, Boost-Phase Kill 15 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine – Aviationweek.com, 16 August 2013
  25. ^ USAF Reapers demonstrate missile tracking capability 17 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine – Flightglobal.com, 16 August 2016
  26. ^ The Air Force Wants To Make Its Drones Smarter and Deadlier 6 August 2015 at the Wayback Machine – Defenseone.com, 3 August 2015
  27. ^ USAF science panel recommends MQ-9, RQ-4 improvement plan 8 August 2015 at the Wayback Machine – Flightglobal.com, 5 August 2015
  28. ^ USAF intel chief proposes single-operator MQ-9 cockpit 29 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine – Flightglobal.com, 28 October 2015
  29. ^ USAF to automate MQ-9 takeoffs and landings 6 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine – Flightglobal.com, 4 May 2016
  30. ^ Radar warning receiver flies for the first time in Predator drone 7 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine – UPI.com, 11 April 2017
  31. ^ MQ-9 Reaper Drone Flies with Double Hellfire Missiles in New Test. Military.com. 30 September 2020.
  32. ^ MQ-9 Software Upgrade Doubles Hellfire Capacity. Air Force Magazine. 30 September 2020.
  33. ^ Double the firepower: MQ-9 tests flying with eight Hellfire missile. Air Force Times. 1 October 2020.
  34. ^ GDC (14 July 2021). "Pentagon Wants To Equip MQ-9 Reaper With Directed-Energy Weapons". Global Defense Corp. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  35. ^ Ewing, Philip. "GA-ASI: The Future of Small UAS". General Atomics Aeronautical. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  36. ^ a b Collinson, R.P.G. (2011). Introduction to Avionic Systems. Springer. p. 495. ISBN 978-94-007-0707-8.
  37. ^ Ready for Retirement, Can Predator Find New Home? – Defensenews.com, 13 May 2014
  38. ^ Elmendorf, Douglas W. (2010). Alternatives for Modernizing U.S. Fighter Forces. DIANE Publishing. p. 38. ISBN 978-1-4379-2250-9.
  39. ^ (PDF). UVS-Info. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  40. ^ SSgt Amy Robinson (11 August 2006). "FAA Authorizes Predators to seek survivors". Air Combat Command Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 29 June 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2006.
  41. ^ GA-ASI Radar Shines During USN Spearhead IIA Exercise 15 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine – sUASNews.com, 28 August 2014
  42. ^ Marc V. Schanz (November 2011). "The New Normal for RPAs". Airforce-magazine.com. 94 (11): 53. from the original on 20 November 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  43. ^ Sierra Nevada fields ARGUS-IS upgrade to Gorgon Stare pod 14 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine – Flightglobal.com, 2 July 2014
  44. ^ GA-ASI Introduces New Design on Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper Landing Gear 4 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine – GA-ASI, 9 January 2012
  45. ^ Extended Endurance Reaper 11 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Wired.com
  46. ^ Reaper upgrades 23 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine – General Atomics
  47. ^ Predator B ER Conducts First Long-Range Endurance Flight 22 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine – sUASNews.com, 17 July 2014
  48. ^ Reaper ER Extends RPA Missions to +33 Hours 20 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine – Defense-Update.com, 16 September 2015
  49. ^ The drones hunting ISIS have grown more lethal 20 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine – Wearethemightly.com, 7 April 2016
  50. ^ "Predator B Extended Range Conducts First Flight With Long Wings". General Atomics & Affiliated Companies. from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  51. ^ Ryan Whitney (3 May 2007). . 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 8 May 2007.
  52. ^ "Reaper scores insurgent kill in Afghanistan". Air Force Times. 29 October 2007. Retrieved 15 August 2008.
  53. ^ Brook, Tom Vanden, "Air Force Requests More Fighter Drones", USA Today, 6 March 2008, p. 6.
  54. ^ Thom Shanker (29 July 2008). "Air Force Plans Altered Role in Iraq". The New York Times. from the original on 12 April 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  55. ^ Jim Mannion (3 August 2008). "Air Force Looks to a New Drone To Keep Peace in Iraq". Agence France-Presse.[dead link]
  56. ^ . bv Strategy Page. 11 August 2008. Archived from the original on 13 August 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2008.
  57. ^ Drew, Christopher (16 March 2009). "Drones Are Weapons of Choice in Fighting Qaeda". The New York Times. from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2009. Considered a novelty a few years ago, the Air Force's fleet has grown to 195 Predators and 28 Reapers, a new and more heavily armed cousin of the Predator
  58. ^ Jason Straziuso (24 October 2009). "U.S. Deploys Drones Against Somali Pirates". CBS News. Associated Press. from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  59. ^ Chivers, C.J.; McLean, Alan; Schoenfeld, Amy; Tse, Archie (25 July 2010). "(Non-Combat Event) Equipment Failure Rpr ISAF HQ: 0 INJ/DAM". The New York Times. from the original on 21 March 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  60. ^ Tony Reichhardt (22 September 2009). "Robot airplane goes AWOL, gets shot down". The Daily Planet. from the original on 16 November 2010. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  61. ^ Zucchino, David (6 July 2010). "War zone drone crashes add up". Los Angeles Times. from the original on 11 July 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  62. ^ McGarry, Brendan (18 June 2012) "Drones Most Accident-Prone U.S. Air Force Craft: BGOV Barometer" 26 August 2013 at the Wayback Machine Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 4 February 2013
  63. ^ Kingstone, Steve (28 October 2011). "US flies drones from Ethiopia to fight Somali militants". BBC News. from the original on 19 November 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  64. ^ "Libyan officials: U.S. drones behind airport closure". Blog.al.com. 15 September 2012. Archived from the original on 17 November 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  65. ^ US drone crashed in Mali in April 3 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine – sUASNews.com, 13 July 2013
  66. ^ RPAs reach 2 million hours 30 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine – sUASNews.com, 25 October 2013
  67. ^ Drew, James. "Holloman AFB to train 40% more Predator, Reaper pilots in 2016" FlightGlobal.
  68. ^ Reaper Strike Likely Killed ‘Jihadi John’ 15 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine – Defensetech.org, 13 November 2015
  69. ^ "More Air Force drones are crashing than ever as mysterious new problems emerge". The Washington Post. from the original on 25 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  70. ^ Mizokami, Kyle (2 October 2017). "U.S. Reaper Drone Shot Down Over Yemen". Popular Mechanics. from the original on 2 October 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  71. ^ Jeremy Binnie and Neil Gibson (5 October 2017). "US Reaper shot down over Sanaa". Jane's Defence Weekly. IHS. from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  72. ^ Snow, Shawn (2 October 2017). "US MQ-9 drone shot down in Yemen".
  73. ^ Pawlyk, Oriana (19 September 2018). "MQ-9 Gets First Air-to-Air Kill in Training Exercise, Air Force Official Says". Military.com. from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  74. ^ "CENTCOM: MQ-9 Reaper shot down over Yemen last week". Military Times. 15 June 2019.
  75. ^ "U.S. drone shot down over Yemen: officials". Reuters. 21 August 2019.
  76. ^ Binnie, Jeremy (28 August 2019). "Yemeni rebels unveil 'new' SAM". Jane's Defence Weekly. IHS.
  77. ^ Cenciotti, David (23 November 2019). "U.S. Drone Lost Over Tripoli The Day After Italy Lost a Predator B in Libya: New Jamming Capability Deployed?". The Aviationist.
  78. ^ Crowley, Michael; Hassan, Falih; Schmitt, Eric (2 January 2020). "U.S. Strike in Iraq Kills Qassim Suleimani, Commander of Iranian Forces". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on 3 January 2020.
  79. ^ "2 US MQ-9 Reaper drones collide over Syria". 20 August 2020.
  80. ^ "Two MQ-9 Reaper Drones Collide Over Syria After Days Of Sightings From Those on the Ground". The Drive. 18 August 2020.
  81. ^ "Turkish military shot down at least one US Air Force UAV over Idlib". Bulgarian Military. 19 August 2020.
  82. ^ "Two US drones collide and crash over Idlib, Syria, defense official says". Military Times. 18 August 2020.
  83. ^ "US, Poland Finish Negotiations on Troop Increase, Drones". Air Force Magazine. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  84. ^ Clement Charpentreau (14 July 2022). "USAF MQ-9 Reaper drone crashes in Romania". AeroTime Hub.
  85. ^ Bethany Karlberg (16 February 2021). "MQ-9 begins flying missions from Romania". United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa.
  86. ^ a b "NASA ERAST Fact Sheet". NASA. from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
  87. ^ "Ikhana Unmanned Science and Research Aircraft System". NASA. 15 August 2007. from the original on 28 October 2007. Retrieved 27 October 2007.
  88. ^ . NASA. November 2006. Archived from the original on 17 July 2007.
  89. ^ "NASA Supports UAS Fire Mapping Efforts on California Fire". NASA. 1 October 2009. from the original on 24 November 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  90. ^ NASA Ikhana UAV to monitor Orion test module's descent 8 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine – Flightglobal.com, 5 December 2014
  91. ^ a b c d (PDF). US Customs and Border Patrol. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 October 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  92. ^ . U.S. Customs and Border Protection. 6 February 2009. Archived from the original on 16 October 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
  93. ^ (PDF). CBP/USCG UAS Joint Program Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 March 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  94. ^ a b Rico, Antonieta (10 August 2013). . Military Times. Archived from the original on 13 August 2013.
  95. ^ "CHI06MA121". National Transportation Safety Board. from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
  96. ^ . Archived from the original (PPT) on 12 January 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  97. ^ Alice Lipowicz (17 October 2006). . Government Computer News. Archived from the original on 3 November 2006. Retrieved 31 October 2006.
  98. ^ . Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 16 February 2009. Archived from the original on 3 May 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
  99. ^ "Pilots Say Go Slow on Commercial Drones After Ditching". Bloomberg L.P. from the original on 27 March 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  100. ^ Stanley, Greg (5 June 2020). "Few answers on who asked feds to circle a Predator surveillance drone over Minneapolis protests". Star Tribune. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  101. ^ Heilweil, Rebecca (10 June 2020). "Members of Congress want to know more about law enforcement's surveillance of protesters". Vox. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  102. ^ Williams, Huw (31 January 2018). "Belgium eyes Predator B derivative for MALE UAS requirement". IHS Jane's 360. London. Archived from the original on 2 February 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  103. ^ Fiorenza, Nicholas (25 October 2018). "Belgium chooses F-35, invests in armoured vehicles and MALE UAS". IHS Jane's 360. London. from the original on 25 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  104. ^ Perry, Dominic (26 October 2018). "Belgium lines up Predator acquisition". FlightGlobal. London. Archived from the original on 29 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  105. ^ Insinna, Valerie (26 March 2019). "US State Department approves sale of Sky Guardian drones to Belgium". Defense News. Washington. Archived from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  106. ^ "Belgium – MQ-9B SkyGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA)". Washington: Defense Security Cooperation Agency. 26 March 2019. from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  107. ^ . Dominican Today. 16 July 2012. Archived from the original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  108. ^ France Opts for U.S. Reapers 10 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine – Defense-Update.com.com, 31 May 2013
  109. ^ "Pentagon notifies Congress of potential French MQ-9 Reaper buy" 4 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Flightglobal.com, 28 June 2013
  110. ^ France concludes deal for 16 Reapers 27 August 2013 at the Wayback Machine – Flightglobal.com, 26 August 2013
  111. ^ French air force pilots complete first Reaper training flight 11 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine – Flightglobal.com, 11 October 2013
  112. ^ [French Pilots Qualified on General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper & send on Sahel surveillance mission soon] – Airrecognition.com, 29 November 2013
  113. ^ French AF Conducts First Reaper Flight – Defensenews.com, 16 January 2014
  114. ^ French Reaper reaches 500 Mali flight hours 27 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine – Shephardmedia.com, 24 April 2014
  115. ^ "Air Algerie Flight AH5017 crash: Plane 'disintegrated,' French officials say". CBC News. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  116. ^ a b Michael Fishpool (5 August 2008). "Germany, Italy make initial requests for MQ-9 Reaper". FlightGlobal. from the original on 15 August 2008. Retrieved 7 August 2008.
  117. ^ (PDF). DSCA. 1 August 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2008.
  118. ^ "Heron-Aufklärungsdrohnen für die Bundeswehr". Rheinmetall Defence. 28 October 2009. from the original on 20 September 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  119. ^ "Warum 'Heron 1' doch gewann". Handelsblatt. 21 June 2009. from the original on 24 June 2009. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  120. ^ "Schwierige Wahl im SAATEG-Wettbewerb". Flugrevue.de. from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  121. ^ "Germany selects IAI's Heron UAV for Afghanistan mission". FlightGlobal. from the original on 2 November 2009. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  122. ^ "ΕΚΤΑΚΤΟ: Αγορά 3 αμερικανικών ΜQ-9 Predator από την ΠΑ, αποκαλύπτει ο Β. Νέδος στην "Κ"". ptisidiastima.com (in Greek). 22 April 2022.
  123. ^ Savvas Vlassis. "Η Βουλή ενέκρινε 5 εξοπλιστικά – MQ-9B SeaGuardian και AAV7A1 συζητήθηκαν έντονα" (in Greek). doureios.com. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  124. ^ (PDF) (in Greek). Athens: Ministry of National Defence (Greece). 26 July 2022. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  125. ^ "Modi-Trump meet: 'US approves sale of 22 Guardian drones to India'". Times of India (indiatimes.com). from the original on 23 June 2017. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  126. ^ "Long wait over! Indian Armed forces to get high-tech US Armed Drones equipped with missiles".
  127. ^ "India Rejects MQ-9 Purchase over Budget Constraints: Report".
  128. ^ "Indian Navy approaches defence ministry for Predator drone acquisition". Hindustan Times. 3 June 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  129. ^ "India in advanced stage talks with US to procure MQ-9B drones for LAC vigil". Refiff.com. 21 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  130. ^ "India leases hi-tech US naval drones to boost surveillance, intel". Hindustan Times. 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  131. ^ "India in advanced stage talks with US to procure MQ-9B drones for LAC vigil". Refiff.com. 21 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  132. ^ Gupta, Shishir (23 February 2022). "Plan to buy Predator drones put on hold". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  133. ^ of India, Press trust (27 February 2022). "India-US Deal For 30 Armed Predator Drones at Advanced Stages: Report". NDTV News. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  134. ^ (PDF). DSCA. 1 August 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2008.
  135. ^ "Italy Might Reap Two More MQ-9 UAVs". SatNews.com. 24 November 2009. from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  136. ^ Entous, Adam (29 May 2012). "U.S. Plans to Arm Italy's Drones". The Wall Street Journal. from the original on 7 February 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  137. ^ i-HLS (13 May 2013). "European Air Forces Seek a Common Weaponized UAS". from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  138. ^ Luca Peruzzi. "Italy flies first Predator B sortie over Libya". from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  139. ^ . Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  140. ^ "Immigration: Italy launches Mare Nostrum, 400 more saved – General news – ANSAMed.it". 15 October 2013. from the original on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  141. ^ Italian Predator Bs start Afghan duty 23 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine – Flightglobal.com, 20 January 2014
  142. ^ a b US authorises weapons upgrade for Italian Reapers 27 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine – Flightglobal.com, 4 November 2015
  143. ^ "Russia and Turkey employ thousands of Syrian mercenaries to fight in Libya". 12 September 2020.
  144. ^ "[Updated] Italian Air Force MQ-9A Predator B Drone Allegedly Shot Down in Libya. Images Surface on Social Media". 20 November 2019.
  145. ^ GA-ASI and Fokker Team to Offer Predator B to the Netherlands PAS13 31 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine – sUASNews.com, 19 June 2013
  146. ^ Defensie kiest Reaper als onbemand vliegtuig 3 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine – Ministerie van Defensie, 21 November 2013.
  147. ^ "Defensie koopt versneld F-35's en MQ-9 Reapers - Nieuwsbericht - Defensie.nl". 24 June 2022.
  148. ^ "Moties ingediend bij het tweeminutendebat Hoofdlijnen Defensiebeleid".
  149. ^ Spain To Buy 4 US Surveillance Drones – Defensenews.com, 6 August 2015
  150. ^ US clears GA-ASI to export MQ-9s to Spain 25 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine – Flightglobal.com, 7 October 2015
  151. ^ Spain reveals plans for armed MQ-9 25 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine – Flightglobal.com, 24 November 2015
  152. ^ a b Air Forces Monthly, December 2007 issue, p.6.
  153. ^ Amos, Jonathan (9 November 2007). "Skynet military launch is delayed". BBC News. Retrieved 13 May 2010.
  154. ^ Corera, Gordon (6 June 2008). "How UK fights remote control war". BBC News. from the original on 21 April 2009. Retrieved 5 April 2009.
  155. ^ . Unmanned. 13 May 2011. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  156. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 August 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  157. ^ "UK Reaper force set to double". defencemanagement.com. 19 March 2012. Archived from the original on 21 January 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  158. ^ "Armed drones operated from RAF base in UK, says MoD". BBC News. 27 April 2013. from the original on 28 April 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  159. ^ "Operation Herrick aircraft Official Statistics". UK Ministry of Defence. 29 October 2015. from the original on 15 January 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  160. ^ RAF ready for Reaper fleet boost, confirms expeditionary plan 1 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine – Flightglobal.com, 16 January 2014
  161. ^ "U.K. Looks To Integrate Brimstone On Reaper UAV". 11 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine Aviation Week, 3 May 2013.
  162. ^ UK analysing Reaper results with Brimstone missile 28 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine – Flightglobal.com, 24 January 2014
  163. ^ MBDA's Brimstone Demonstrates its Precision Low Capability from Reaper 30 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine – MBDA-Systems.com, 21 March 2014
  164. ^ RAF Reapers to enter service's core fleet 15 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine – Flightglobal.com, 1 August 2014
  165. ^ "PM announces investment in counter terrorism capabilities for the Armed Forces". UK Ministry of Defence. from the original on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  166. ^ Stevenson, Beth (7 October 2015). "MoD reveals Reaper derivative will be chosen for Protector". FlightGlobal. from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  167. ^ "UK selects Certifiable Predator B as Reaper replacement" 28 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine – Flightglobal.com, 27 April 2016
  168. ^ "Protector makes its way to the UK". Royal Air Force. 11 July 2018. from the original on 12 July 2018.
  169. ^ "UK deploys Reaper to the Middle East". Ministry of Defence. 16 October 2014. from the original on 28 January 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  170. ^ RAF Reapers to operate over Iraq 18 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine – Flightglobal.com, 16 October 2014
  171. ^ RAF Reaper performs first Hellfire strike in Iraq 11 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine – Flightglobal.com, 11 November 2014
  172. ^ "Islamic State conflict: Two Britons killed in RAF Syria strike". BBC News. 7 September 2015. from the original on 2 December 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  173. ^ Stevenson, Beth (12 January 2016), "RAF deploys Brimstone for counter-IS attacks", FlightGlobal, from the original on 15 January 2016, retrieved 12 January 2016
  174. ^ UK reveals sharp increase in Reaper Hellfire use 2 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine – Flightglobal.com, 1 February 2016
  175. ^ "United Arab Emirates – MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft". Defense Security Coooperation Agency. 10 November 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  176. ^ Defense News
  177. ^ "Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) – MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft | Defense Security Cooperation Agency".
  178. ^ "General Atomics Starts SeaGuardian RPAS Validation Flights in Japan". Naval News. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  179. ^ Inaba, Yoshihiro (18 November 2020). "Japan Coast Guard And JMSDF Planning To Use UAVs For Ocean Surveillance". Naval News. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  180. ^ "U.S. Set to OK MQ-9B Drone Sales to Morocco after it Normalizes Ties with Israel". Defense World. 11 December 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  181. ^ "Finnish Defense Forces is Testing Unmanned Aerial Systems - the Finnish Defence Forces".
  182. ^ "Bojowe MQ-9 Reaper jako pilna potrzeba operacyjna". 28 February 2022.
  183. ^ . Defense Update. 4 September 2006. Archived from the original on 8 January 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  184. ^ "RAAF commences Reaper training". 15 February 2015. from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  185. ^ Australian pilots began flying US MQ-9 Reaper drones over Syria to fight against IS 29 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine – Airrecognition.com, 14 August 2015
  186. ^ "Australia to buy armed Reaper drones in shift towards pilotless future". 15 November 2018. from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  187. ^ "Australia – MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft | Defense Security Cooperation Agency". www.dsca.mil. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  188. ^ Bergmann, Kym (1 April 2022). "AIR 7003 armed UCAV project cancelled". APDR. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  189. ^ . General Atomics. Archived from the original on 10 May 2006.
  190. ^ (PDF). Delivering the Goods: News from U.S. Coast Guard Acquisition. US Coast Guard. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
  191. ^ a b General Atomics Advances SeaGuardian Systems. Aviation International News. 20 January 2021.
  192. ^ New maritime capability developed for MQ-9 29 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Flightglobal, 25 September 2015
  193. ^ a b 29 January 2013, USAF Works To Address Avionics Software Deficiencies In MQ-9 Reaper 3 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Inside Defence. Retrieved 3 March 2013
  194. ^ a b GA-ASI Introduces System-Wide Enhancements for Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper 5 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine, sUAS News, 5 September 2012
  195. ^ Air Force to buy 24 late-model Reaper hunter-killer UAVs under terms of $377.4 million contract 31 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine, sUAS News, 22 October 2013
  196. ^ Game-changing unmanned aircraft tested at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, Army, Mark Schauer (ATEC), dated 3 June 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019
  197. ^ a b General Atomics Readies Drone for European Skies 26 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine. DoDBuzz, 25 June 2015.
  198. ^ a b c "Sky guardian" (PDF) (data sheet). GA-SI. (PDF) from the original on 3 April 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  199. ^ "Govt announces MQ-9B Sky Guardian for AIR 7003". ADBR. 28 November 2019.
  200. ^ "Justification of the decision of the procurer to award the contract without the prior publication of a contract notice". HM Government. 24 April 2016. from the original on 14 September 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  201. ^ "UK To Buy 'Certifiable Predator B'". Aerossurance. 25 April 2016. from the original on 29 April 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  202. ^ "National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015" (PDF). HM Government. November 2015. (PDF) from the original on 24 November 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  203. ^ "General Atomics MQ−9B UAV Completes Transatlantic Flight". Defense World. from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  204. ^ "Farnborough: RAF touts potential of Protector programme". FlightGlobal. from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  205. ^ "MOD signs £65 million contract for Protector aircraft". UK Ministry of Defence. London. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  206. ^ Jennings, Gareth (16 September 2021). "RAF names 13 Sqn as second Protector unit". Janes.com. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  207. ^ Joseph Dempsey [@JosephHDempsey] (18 July 2018). "No fire but certainly a lot (18) of Brimstone @byMBDA for the UK future Protector UAV" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  208. ^ . janes.com. 25 September 2013. Archived from the original on 15 October 2013.
  209. ^ "MQ-9 Reaper drone: India leases top-notch US drones for surveillance amid border row with China". The Times of India.
  210. ^ "Orbat: ITALY - AERONAUTICA MILITARE". Scramble. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  211. ^ "Italia acquisirà 4 UAV Predator B/Reaper". Difesanews.it. 19 February 2008. from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  212. ^ "Japan Coast Guard to share real-time surveillance info with navy".
  213. ^ "First Dutch Crews Fly MQ-9 Reaper". Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  214. ^ "Kamer in 1,5 uur akkoord met megaorder voor extra straaljagers en drones" [House after 1.5 hours agrees to mega order for extra jets and drones] (in Dutch). 4 July 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  215. ^ "Orbat: SPAIN - AIR FORCE". Scramble. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  216. ^ "Ejército del Aire - Noticias - Detalle de noticia".
  217. ^ "Gana el Reaper: España comprará cuatro UAV Reaper en versión Block 5 y equipo asociado por 243 miliones de dólares" [Gaining the Reaper: Spain will buy four Reaper UAV version Block 5 and team associated by 243 million dollars]. Defensa.com (in Spanish). 7 October 2015. from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  218. ^ Jennings, Gareth (1 April 2021). "UK acquires 'second operating location' Reaper UAV". Jane's Defence Weekly. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  219. ^ "XIII Squadron". Royal Air Force. from the original on 15 January 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  220. ^ Allison, George (17 September 2021). "Second Protector squadron to be 13 Squadron".
  221. ^ "Number 54 Squadron". Royal Air Force. from the original on 14 March 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  222. ^ "Number 39 Squadron". Royal Air Force. from the original on 15 January 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  223. ^ Amelia Smith (14 July 2022). "MQ-9 Reaper Has Crashed in Romania". Overt Defense.
  224. ^ Combat Aircraft. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. September 2019. p. 11.
  225. ^ "MQ-9 Reaper / Predator B". GlobalSecurity.org. 13 May 2010. from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  226. ^ Tech Spotlight – TPE331-10 Turboprop – Honeywell Aerospace Engineering. Honeywell.com. Retrieved 8 September 2010. 13 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  227. ^ "Reaper UAV To Receive Improved Targeting From Raytheon". SatNews.com. 24 September 2008. from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  228. ^ . Defense Update. Archived from the original on 22 November 2010. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  229. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 May 2008.
  230. ^ a b c A.F T.O. 1Q9(M)A-1
  231. ^ "Dual Mode Brimstone Achieves Direct Hits in MQ-9 Reaper Testing". MBDA. 24 March 2014. from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  232. ^ "US Air Force fires AIM-9X from MQ-9 Reaper". Global Defense Corp. 24 September 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  233. ^ "AN/DAS-1 Multi-spectral Targeting System (MTS) – B (United States)". Jane's Electronic Mission Aircraft. 15 March 2010. from the original on 24 September 2009. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  234. ^ . Defense Update.com. 23 August 2006. Archived from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  • This article contains material that originally came from the web article by Greg Goebel, which exists in the public domain.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper.
  • MQ-9 Predator Factsheet on U.S. Air Force site
  • General Atomics Aeronautical Systems YMQ-9 Reaper – National Museum of the United States Air Force
  • Defense-Update.com
  • Reaper page on Globalsecurity.org
  • General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (Predator B), Designation-Systems.net

February 09, 2023
general, atomics, reaper, sometimes, called, predator, unmanned, aerial, vehicle, capable, remotely, controlled, autonomous, flight, operations, developed, general, atomics, aeronautical, systems, primarily, united, states, force, usaf, other, uavs, referred, . The General Atomics MQ 9 Reaper sometimes called Predator B is an unmanned aerial vehicle UAV capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems GA ASI primarily for the United States Air Force USAF The MQ 9 and other UAVs are referred to as Remotely Piloted Vehicles Aircraft RPV RPA by the USAF to indicate their human ground controllers 2 3 MQ 9 Reaper Predator BU S Air Force MQ 9A Reaper armed with a PavewayRole Unmanned combat aerial vehicleNational origin United StatesManufacturer General Atomics Aeronautical SystemsFirst flight 2 February 2001 22 years ago 2001 02 02 Introduction 1 May 2007Status In servicePrimary users United States Air ForceU S Customs and Border Protection Italian Air Force Royal Air ForceNumber built 316 as of 2016 1 Developed from General Atomics MQ 1 PredatorDeveloped into General Atomics Avenger General Atomics MojaveThe MQ 9 is the first hunter killer UAV designed for long endurance high altitude surveillance 4 In 2006 the then Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force General T Michael Moseley said We ve moved from using UAVs primarily in intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance roles before Operation Iraqi Freedom to a true hunter killer role with the Reaper 4 The MQ 9 is a larger heavier and more capable aircraft than the earlier General Atomics MQ 1 Predator it can be controlled by the same ground systems used to control MQ 1s The Reaper has a 950 shaft horsepower 712 kW turboprop engine compared to the Predator s 115 hp 86 kW piston engine The greater power allows the Reaper to carry 15 times more ordnance payload and cruise at about three times the speed of the MQ 1 4 The aircraft is monitored and controlled by aircrew in the Ground Control Station GCS including weapons employment 5 In 2008 the New York Air National Guard 174th Attack Wing began the transition from F 16 piloted fighters to MQ 9A Reapers becoming the first fighter unit to convert entirely to unmanned combat aerial vehicle UCAV use 6 In March 2011 the U S Air Force was training more pilots for advanced unmanned aerial vehicles than for any other single weapons system 7 The Reaper is also used by the U S Customs and Border Protection and the militaries of several other countries The USAF operated over 300 MQ 9 Reapers as of May 2021 8 with 16 additional units on the way as authorized by the FY2021 Congressional budget Several new equipment upgrades had been retrofitted onto some of the active MQ 9 aircraft to improve performance in high end combat situations as of that date to be included in all further procurements of the MQ 9 2035 is the projected end of the service life of the MQ 9 fleet 8 Contents 1 Development 1 1 Origins 1 2 Operation 1 3 Testbed and upgrades 2 Design 3 Operational history 3 1 U S Air Force 3 2 NASA 3 3 U S Homeland Security 3 4 Other users 3 4 1 Belgium 3 4 2 Dominican Republic 3 4 3 France 3 4 4 Germany 3 4 5 Greece 3 4 6 India 3 4 7 Italy 3 4 8 Netherlands 3 4 9 Spain 3 4 10 United Kingdom 3 4 11 United Arab Emirates 3 4 12 Taiwan 3 4 13 Japan 3 4 14 Morocco 3 5 Potential operators 3 5 1 Finland 3 5 2 Poland 3 6 Cancelled acquisitions 3 6 1 Australia 4 Variants 4 1 SeaGuardian 4 2 MQ 9 Block 5 4 3 SkyGuardian 4 4 Protector 5 Operators 6 Specifications MQ 9A 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksDevelopment EditOrigins Edit The General Atomics Predator B 001 a proof of concept aircraft first flew on 2 February 2001 Abraham Karem is the designer of the Predator 9 The B 001 was powered by an AlliedSignal Garrett TPE331 10T turboprop engine with 950 shaft horsepower 710 kW It had an airframe that was based on the standard Predator airframe except with an enlarged fuselage and wings lengthened from 48 feet 15 m to 66 feet 20 m The B 001 had a speed of 220 knots 410 km h 250 mph and could carry a payload of 750 pounds 340 kg to an altitude of 50 000 feet 15 000 m with an endurance of 30 hours 10 The company refined the design taking it in two separate directions The first was a jet powered version Predator B 002 was fitted with a Williams FJ44 2A turbofan engine with 10 2 kilonewtons 2 300 lbf 1 040 kgf thrust It had payload capacity of 475 pounds 215 kg a ceiling of 60 000 feet 18 km and endurance of 12 hours The USAF ordered two airframes for evaluation delivered in 2007 11 unreliable source The first two airframes delivered with prototypes B 001 and B 002 now in the USAF museum at Wright Patterson AFB B 002 was originally equipped with the FJ 44 engine but it was removed and a TPE 331 10T was installed so that the USAF could take delivery of two aircraft in the same configuration The second direction the design took was the Predator B 003 referred to by GA as the Altair which has a new airframe with an 84 foot 26 m wingspan and a takeoff weight of approximately 7 000 pounds 3 200 kg Like the Predator B 001 it is powered by a TPE 331 10YGD turboprop This variant has a payload capacity of 3 000 pounds 1 400 kg a maximum ceiling of 52 000 feet 16 km and an endurance of 36 hours 12 13 In October 2001 the USAF signed a contract for an initial pair of Predator Bs 001 and 002 for evaluation Designated YMQ 9s due to their prototype role they were delivered in 2002 10 The USAF referred to it as Predator B until it was renamed Reaper The USAF aimed for the Predator B to provide an improved deadly persistence capability flying over a combat area night and day waiting for a target to present itself complementing piloted attack aircraft typically used to drop larger quantities of ordnance on a target while a cheaper RPV can operate almost continuously using ground controllers working in shifts but carrying less ordnance 13 Operation Edit The satellite antenna and sensors of an NOAA NASA flight demonstrator 2005 MQ 9 Reaper crews pilots and sensor operators stationed at bases such as Creech Air Force Base near Las Vegas Nevada can hunt for targets and observe terrain using multiple sensors including a thermographic camera One claim was that the onboard camera is able to read a license plate from two miles 3 2 km away 14 An operator s command takes 1 2 seconds to reach the drone via a satellite link The MQ 9 is fitted with six stores pylons The inner stores pylons can carry a maximum of 1 500 pounds 680 kg each and allow carriage of external fuel tanks The mid wing stores pylons can carry a maximum of 600 pounds 270 kg each while the outer stores pylons can carry a maximum of 200 pounds 91 kg each An MQ 9 with two 1 000 pounds 450 kg external fuel tanks and 1 000 pounds 450 kg of munitions has an endurance of 42 hours 13 The Reaper has an endurance of 14 hours when fully loaded with munitions 4 The MQ 9 carries a variety of weapons including the GBU 12 Paveway II laser guided bomb the AGM 114 Hellfire II air to ground missiles the AIM 9 Sidewinder 14 and the GBU 38 Joint Direct Attack Munition JDAM Tests are underway to allow for the addition of the AIM 92 Stinger air to air missile citation needed By October 2007 the USAF owned nine Reapers 15 and by December 2010 had 57 with plans to buy another 272 for a total of 329 Reapers 16 Critics have stated that the USAF s insistence on qualified pilots flying RPVs is a bottleneck to expanding deployment USAF Major General William Rew stated on 5 August 2008 For the way we fly them right now fully integrated into air operations and often flying missions alongside manned aircraft we want pilots to fly them 17 This reportedly has exacerbated losses of USAF aircraft in comparison with US Army operations 18 In March 2011 U S Department of Defense Secretary Robert Gates stated that while manned aircraft are needed the USAF must recognize the enormous strategic and cultural implications of the vast expansion in remotely piloted vehicles and stated that as the service buys manned fighters and bombers it must give equal weight to unmanned drones and the service s important role in the cyber and space domains 7 In 2013 the Air Force Special Operations Command AFSOC sought the ability to pack up an MQ 9 in less than eight hours fly it anywhere in the world aboard a C 17 Globemaster III and then have it ready to fly in another eight hours to support special operations teams at places with no infrastructure MQ 1 and MQ 9 drones must fly aboard cargo aircraft to travel long distances as they lack the refueling technology or speed to travel themselves the C 17 is large enough to carry the aircraft and support systems and can land on short runways Pilots traveling with the Reaper will use the ground control station to launch and land the aircraft while most of the flying will be done by US based pilots 19 Testbed and upgrades Edit In November 2012 Raytheon completed ground verification tests for the ADM 160 MALD and MALD J for integration onto the Reaper for an unmanned suppression of enemy air defenses capability 20 On 12 April 2013 a company owned MQ 9 equipped with a jamming pod and digital receiver exciter successfully demonstrated its electronic warfare capability at Marine Corps Air Station MCAS Yuma performing its mission in coordination with over 20 participating aircraft 21 A second electronic warfare test fitted with the Northrop Grumman Pandora EW System was conducted on 22 October 2013 with other unmanned aircraft and Northrop Grumman EA 6B Prowlers showing effectiveness in a multi node approach against a more capable IADS 22 In 2011 the U S Missile Defense Agency MDA reported its interest in using the Reaper and its MTS B sensor to provide firing quality data for early interception of ballistic missile launches The MDA is exploring concepts to use the UAV s EO IR sensor to achieve launch on remote capabilities with missile interceptors before detection by Aegis radars At least two aircraft would be needed to triangulate a target to provide high fidelity data The MTS B includes short and mid wave IR bands optimal for tracking launch and rocket burn 23 In 2013 the MDA terminated plans to build a follow on to the two orbiting Space Tracking and Surveillance System STSS satellites due to near term costs opting to continue testing the Reaper for ballistic missile target discrimination The MDA planned to test the improved MTS C sensor which adds a long wave IR detector optimized for tracking cold bodies such as missiles and warheads after booster burnout or plumes and exhaust The goal is to use data from multiple high flying UAVs to provide an off board cue to launch an SM 3 missile from an Aegis ship 24 Two Reapers demonstrated their ability to track ballistic missiles using their MTS B EO IR turret during a test in late June 2016 25 In June 2015 a study by the USAF s Scientific Advisory Board identified several improvements for operating the Reaper in contested airspace adding readily available sensors weapons and threat detection and countermeasures could increase situational awareness and enable riskier deployments Suggestions included a radar warning receiver RWR to know when it s being targeted air to air and miniature air to ground weapons manned unmanned teaming multi UAV control automatic take offs and landings and precision navigation and timing systems to fly in GPS denied areas Another idea was redesigned ground control stations with user friendly video game like controllers and touchscreen maps to access data without overwhelming operators 26 27 In October 2015 Air Force deputy chief of staff for ISR Robert Otto suggested redesigning the MQ 9 s GCS to be operated by one person for most missions rather than two to fly and work the sensors to simplify operations and reduce manpower requirements by hundreds of sensor operators Introducing an auto land capability would also reduce the Reaper s manpower requirements to staff launch and recovery teams 28 Automatic take off and landing capabilities are already present in the RQ 4 Global Hawk and MQ 1C Gray Eagle and are planned to be provided to the MQ 9 in 2017 The Air Force requires the manually loaded Reaper to operate from a runway at least 5 000 ft 1 5 km long but automated take offs and landings would enable it to operate from a 3 000 ft 0 91 km runway 29 In April 2017 an MQ 9 Block 5 flew with a Raytheon ALR 69A RWR in its payload pod to demonstrate the aircraft s ability to conduct missions in the proximity of threat radars and air defenses the first time this capability was demonstrated on a remotely piloted aircraft 30 In September 2020 a Reaper was flown carrying two Hellfire missiles on each of the stations previously reserved for 500 lb bombs or fuel tanks A software upgrade doubled the aircraft s capacity to eight missiles 31 32 33 Pentagon wants to upgrade MQ 9 Reaper with directed energy weapons such as low powered laser and high powered microwave beams A high field optical module to act on the human nervous system is also under consideration 34 In September 2020 GA ASI conducted captive carry tests of the Sparrowhawk small UAS on the MQ 9 with the Reaper itself acting as a drone mothership The MQ 9B Sky Guardian will be able to carry up to four Sparrowhawks upon the sUAS s entry to service 35 Design Edit An MQ 9 taxiing in Afghanistan 2007 A typical MQ 9 system consists of multiple aircraft ground control station communications equipment maintenance spares and personnel A military flight crew includes a pilot sensor operator and Mission Intelligence Coordinator 5 The aircraft is powered by a 950 horsepower 710 kW turboprop with a maximum speed of about 260 knots 480 km h 300 mph and a cruising speed of 150 170 knots 170 200 mph 280 310 km h 36 With a 66 ft 20 m wingspan and a maximum payload of 3 800 lb 1 700 kg the MQ 9 can be armed with a variety of weaponry including Hellfire missiles and 500 lb 230 kg laser guided bomb units 36 Its endurance is 30 hours when conducting ISR missions which decreases to 23 hours if it is carrying a full weapons load 37 The Reaper has a range of 1 000 nmi 1 150 mi 1 850 km dubious discuss and an operational altitude of 50 000 ft 15 000 m which makes it especially useful for long term loitering operations both for surveillance and support of ground troops 38 The first MQ 9 arriving at Creech AFB March 2007 The Predator and Reaper were designed for military operations and not intended to operate among crowded airline traffic The aircraft typically lack systems capable of complying with FAA See And Avoid regulations 39 In 2005 requests were made for MQ 9s to be used in search and rescue operations following Hurricane Katrina but as there was no FAA authorization in place at the time it was not used On 18 May 2006 the Federal Aviation Administration FAA issued a certificate of authorization allowing MQ 1 and MQ 9 UAVs to fly in U S civil airspace to search for survivors of disasters 40 An MQ 9 can adopt various mission kits and combinations of weapons and sensors payloads to meet combat requirements Its Raytheon AN AAS 52 citation needed multi spectral targeting sensor suite includes a color monochrome daylight TV infrared and image intensified TV with laser rangefinder laser designator to designate targets for laser guided munitions citation needed The aircraft is also equipped with the Lynx Multi mode Radar that contains synthetic aperture radar SAR that can operate in both spotlight and strip modes and ground moving target indication GMTI with Dismount Moving Target Indicator DMTI and Maritime Wide Area Search MWAS capabilities 41 The Reaper was used as a test bed for Gorgon Stare a wide area surveillance sensor system 42 Increment 1 of the system was first fielded in March 2011 on the Reaper and could cover an area of 16 km2 6 2 sq mi increment 2 incorporating ARGUS IS and expanding the coverage area to 100 km2 39 sq mi achieved initial operating capability IOC in early 2014 The system has 368 cameras capable of capturing five million pixels each to create an image of about 1 8 billion pixels video is collected at 12 frames per second producing several terabytes of data per minute 43 In January 2012 General Atomics released a new trailing arm design for the Reaper s main landing gear Benefits include an over 30 increase in landing weight capacity a 12 increase in gross takeoff weight from 10 500 pounds 4 800 kg to 11 700 pounds 5 300 kg a maintenance free shock absorber eliminating the need for nitrogen pressurization a fully rejected takeoff brake system and provisions for automatic takeoff and landing capability and Anti lock Brake System ABS field upgrades 44 In April 2012 General Atomics announced possible upgrades to USAF Reapers including two extra 100 US gallons 380 L fuel pods under the wings to increase endurance to 37 hours The wingspan can also be increased to 88 feet 27 m increasing endurance to 42 hours 45 46 The USAF has bought 38 Reaper Extended Range ER versions carrying external fuel tanks which don t affect weapon capacity the heavy weight landing gear a four bladed propeller a new fuel management system which ensures fuel and thermal balance among external tank wing and fuselage fuel sources and an alcohol water injection AWI system to shorten required runway takeoff length These features increase endurance from 27 to 33 35 hours while the company is still pitching the lengthened wing option The Reaper ER first flew operationally in August 2015 47 48 The aircraft also has the sensor ball replaced with a high definition camera better communications so ground controllers can see the higher quality video software to enable automatic detection of threats and tracking of 12 moving targets at once and the ability to super ripple fire missiles within 0 32 seconds of each other 49 On 25 February 2016 General Atomics announced a successful test flight of the new Predator B ER version This new version has had the wingspan extended to 79 feet increasing its endurance to 40 hours Other improvements include short field takeoff and landing performance and spoilers on the wings which enable precision automatic landings The wings also have provisions for leading edge de ice and integrated low and high band RF antennas 50 Operational history EditU S Air Force Edit MQ 1 UAV Flight Crew at Joint Base Balad LSA Anaconda Iraq 7 August 2007 On 1 May 2007 the USAF s 432nd Wing was activated to operate MQ 9 Reaper as well as MQ 1 Predator UAVs at Creech Air Force Base Nevada The pilots first conducted combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan in the summer of 2007 51 On 28 October 2007 the Air Force Times reported an MQ 9 had achieved its first kill successfully firing a Hellfire missile against Afghanistan insurgents in the Deh Rawood region of the mountainous Oruzgan province 52 By 6 March 2008 according to USAF Lieutenant General Gary North the Reaper had attacked 16 targets in Afghanistan using 500 lb 230 kg bombs and Hellfire missiles 53 On 17 July 2008 the USAF began flying Reaper missions within Iraq from Balad Air Base 54 55 It was reported on 11 August 2008 that the 174th Fighter Wing would consist entirely of Reapers 56 By March 2009 the USAF had 28 operational Reapers 57 Beginning in September 2009 Reapers were deployed by the Africa Command to the Seychelles islands for use in Indian Ocean anti piracy patrols 58 On 13 September 2009 positive control of an MQ 9 was lost during a combat mission over Afghanistan after which the control less drone started flying towards the Afghan border with Tajikistan 59 An F 15E Strike Eagle fired an AIM 9 missile at the drone successfully destroying its engine Before the drone impacted the ground contact was reestablished with the drone and it was flown into a mountain to destroy it It was the first US drone to be destroyed intentionally by allied forces 60 By July 2010 thirty eight Predators and Reapers had been lost during combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq another nine were lost in training missions in the U S 61 In 2010 the USAF conducted over 33 000 close air support missions a more than 20 percent increase compared with 2009 7 By March 2011 the USAF had 48 Predator and Reaper combat air patrols flying in Iraq and Afghanistan compared with 18 in 2007 7 A MQ 9A Reaper in Afghanistan 2007 As of March 2011 the USAF was training more pilots for advanced unmanned aerial vehicles than for any other single weapons system 7 In 2012 the Reaper Predator and Global Hawk were described as the most accident prone aircraft in the Air Force fleet 62 In October 2011 the USAF began operating Reapers out of Arba Minch Airport in Ethiopia for surveillance only operations in Somalia 63 In 2012 both Reapers and Predators were deployed in Benghazi Libya after the attack that killed the US ambassador in that city 64 In February 2013 the U S stationed a Predator at Niamey to provide intelligence for French forces during Operation Serval in Mali it was later replaced by two MQ 9 Reapers In April 2013 one of these Reapers crashed on a surveillance flight due to mechanical failure 65 On 22 October 2013 the USAF s fleets of MQ 1 Predator and MQ 9 Reaper UAVs reached 2 000 000 flight hours The RPA program began in the mid 1990s taking 16 years for them to reach 1 million flight hours the 2 million hour mark was reached just two and a half years later 66 The high demand for UAVs has caused Air Combat Command to increase pilot output from 188 in 2015 to 300 in 2017 at Holloman 67 On 13 November 2015 the Pentagon reported that an MQ 9 had killed ISIL member Mohammed Emwazi popularly known as Jihadi John who was responsible for executing several Western prisoners 68 In 2015 a record number 20 of USAF drones crashed investigators identified three parts of the starter generator that were susceptible to breakdowns but could not determine why they were failing Col William S Leister informed Pentagon officials that investigators from the USAF General Atomics and Skurka had investigated the problem for more than a year The team he said had identified numerous manufacturing quality issues yet had been unable to determine the exact cause of the failures 69 On 2 October 2017 U S Central Command stated that an MQ 9 had been shot down by Houthi air defense systems over Sanaa in western Yemen the previous day The aircraft took off from Chabelley Airport in Djibouti and was armed 70 71 72 On 18 September 2018 the USAF announced that an MQ 9 armed with an air to air missile successfully shot down a smaller target drone in November 2017 The drone was operated by the 432nd Wing 73 While the destruction of a target drone is a routine USAF exercise this event was the first instance of a Reaper destroying a small maneuvering aerial target MQ 9 Reaper at a FARP forward area refueling point in December 2022 On 6 June 2019 Houthis shot down a US MQ 9 Reaper over Yemen According to United States Central Command it was shot down by an SA 6 surface to air missile that was enabled with Iranian assistance 74 On 21 August 2019 another un armed MQ 9 was shot down by Houthis over Dhamar Yemen 75 by a Yemini made Fater 1 missile an improved SA 6 76 On 23 November 2019 a US MQ 9 Reaper was shot down by a Pantsir system operated by the Libyan National Army or Wagner Group over Tripoli Libya According to journalist David Cenciotti the drone was lost after being jammed by Russian Wagner militias working in support of the Libyan National Army 77 On 3 January 2020 a US MQ 9 missile strike at Baghdad International Airport killed Qasem Soleimani the commander of the Iranian Quds Force and Abu Mahdi al Muhandis the deputy commander of Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces 78 On 18 August 2020 US Department of Defense announced that two US MQ 9 Reapers had crashed in a mid air collision over Syria 79 80 However claims from local media said that at least one drone might have been shot down by Syrian Opposition rebel fighters or Turkish forces 81 82 In April 2021 U S and Polish militaries have agreed on a long negotiated plan to increase the American presence in Poland with two units of MQ 9 Reapers deployed by the USAF 83 On 14 July 2022 a MQ 9 Reaper operated by the 25th Attack Group crashed during a training mission in Romania The MQ 9 drones have been deployed to the Romanian 71st Air Base in 2021 starting their operational flights on 1 February 2021 84 85 NASA Edit NASA Predator B variants NASA s Predator B Altair variant NASA s Predator B Ikhana variant The National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA initially expressed interest in a production version of the B 002 turbofan powered variant 13 but instead leased an unarmed Reaper variant which carries the GA ASI company name Altair Altair is one of the first three Predator B airframes The other two airframes known as Predator B 001 and Predator B 002 had a maximum gross weight of 7 500 pounds 3 400 kg 86 The Altair differs from these models in that it has an 86 foot 26 m long wingspan 20 foot 6 1 m greater than early and current MQ 9s The Altair has enhanced avionics systems to better enable flights in FAA controlled civil airspace and demonstrate over the horizon command and control capability from a ground station These aircraft are used by NASA s Earth Science Enterprise as part of the NASA ERAST Program to perform on location science missions 86 In November 2006 NASA s Dryden Flight Research Center obtained an MQ 9 and mobile ground control station named Ikhana for the Suborbital Science Program within the Science Mission Directorate 87 In 2007 Ikhana was used to survey the Southern California wildfires supporting firefighter deployments based upon the highest need The California Office of Emergency Services requested NASA support for the Esperanza Fire and the General Atomics Altair was launched less than 24 hours later on a 16 hour mission to map the fire s perimeter The fire mapping research is a joint project with NASA and the US Forest Service 88 89 The NASA Ikhana was used to survey the descent of the Orion Exploration Flight Test 1 EFT 1 module on its first test mission 5 December 2014 The aircraft loitered at 27 000 ft 8 200 m used its IR camera to detect the capsule then switched to the optical camera to observe its descent through parachute deployment and landing in the Pacific Ocean 90 U S Homeland Security Edit U S Customs and Border Protection s Predator B CBP s Predator B CBP s Predator B Guardian variant source source source source source source source source source source A CBP Predator B directs border agents towards a migrant group crossing the US Mexico border using thermal video circa 2008 U S Customs and Border Protection CBP operated nine MQ 9s in August 2012 Two were based in North Dakota at Grand Forks Air Force Base four were based in Arizona at Fort Huachuca and one was based at the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi Texas 91 These aircraft were equipped with GA ASI s Lynx synthetic aperture radar and Raytheon s MTS B electro optical infrared sensors 92 The CBP also had two maritime MQ 9s called Guardians based at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Florida and Naval Air Station Corpus Christi Texas 93 The Guardians were equipped with the SeaVue marine search radar their electro optical infrared sensor was optimized for maritime operations 91 The CBP operates one MQ 9 Guardian jointly with the U S Coast Guard USCG out of land based stations in Florida and Texas 94 The United States Department of Homeland Security initially ordered one Predator B for border protection duty referred to as MQ 9 CBP 101 It began operations 4 October 2005 and crashed in the Arizona desert on 25 April 2006 The US s NTSB determined that the crash s most likely cause was pilot error by the ground based pilot inadvertently shutting down the UAV s engine by failing to follow the checklist 95 During its operational period the aircraft flew 959 hours on patrol and played a role in 2 309 arrests It also contributed to the seizure of four vehicles and 8 267 pounds 3 750 kg of marijuana 96 A second Predator B called CBP 104 initially referred to as CBP 102 was delivered in September 2006 and commenced limited border protection operations on 18 October 2006 The president s FY2006 emergency supplemental budget request added 45 million for the program and the FY2007 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill added an additional 20 million In October 2006 GA ASI announced a 33 9 million contract to supply two more Predator B systems by the fall of 2007 97 On 16 February 2009 the program was further expanded to include patrols of the Canada US border 98 On 14 October 2013 an MQ 9 began patrolling the Manitoba portion of the U S Canada border The UAV is based at Grand Forks Air Force Base and will watch the 400 km 250 mi long border The drone will not carry weapons and needs permission to enter Canadian airspace U S authorities fear that drug smugglers migrants and terrorists may exploit the long border The use of the unmanned surveillance aircraft is an enhancement of the partnership between U S and Canadian agencies citation needed In January 2014 Customs and Border Protection grounded its UAVs temporarily after an unmanned aircraft was ditched off the coast of California by the operator due to a mechanical failure on 27 January 2014 99 On 29 May 2020 during the George Floyd protests CBP flew an unarmed Predator B drone above Minneapolis to watch protesters The agency said it was at the request of federal law enforcement in Minneapolis 100 101 Other users Edit Belgium Edit In January 2018 the Belgian Ministry of Defence reportedly decided on the MQ 9 to fulfill its medium altitude long range UAV requirement Ministry officials stated that a request for information had been sent to potential suppliers of the system and that they had received responses from all of them 102 In October 2018 Belgium confirmed its selection of the MQ 9B SkyGuardian variant adding that it would be considered a reconnaissance asset suggesting it will not be used to carry weapons 103 104 In March 2019 the US Department of State approved the sale of four MQ 9B SkyGuardian UAVs to Belgium for 600 million pending approval by US Congress 105 106 In July 2022 work began on adapting the Florennes Air Base to host fly and maintain the planes citation needed Dominican Republic Edit The Predator UAV Guardian has been used by the Dominican Republic under U S supervision and funding against drug trafficking from mid 2012 107 France Edit On 31 May 2013 French Defense Minister Jean Yves Le Drian confirmed the order of two MQ 9 Reapers to be delivered by the end of 2013 It was chosen to replace the EADS Harfang and was picked over the Israeli Heron TP 108 On 27 June 2013 the U S Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to France for 16 unarmed MQ 9s associated equipment ground control hardware and support worth up to 1 5 billion total 109 On 26 August 2013 France and the US Department of Defense concluded the deal for 16 Reapers and 8 ground control stations with French operators beginning training 110 On 24 September 2013 France s first pair of MQ 9 pilots conducted a two hour training sortie at Holloman Air Force Base New Mexico Both French pilots had prior UAV experience and went through a five week ground based training course and 5 hours on a flight simulator before the first flight Two additional crews were also receiving instruction at the facility General Atomics is due to deliver two Reapers and one ground control station to the French Air Force by the end of 2013 111 On 26 November 2013 France declared that six pilots in three teams were operational following 100 hours on flight simulators and 4 flights French MQ 9s were first put into action in January 2014 at Niamey Air Base in Niger for border reconnaissance in the Sahel desert 112 On 16 January 2014 France s first MQ 9 flight occurred from Niger The first two Reapers to enter French service are designated Block 1 and use U S equipment further orders are to be modified with European payloads such as sensors and datalinks 113 On 31 March 2014 French Air Force Reapers accumulated 500 flight hours in support of Operation Serval 114 In July 2014 a French MQ 9 helped to locate the wreckage of Air Algerie Flight 5017 which had crashed in Mali 115 Germany Edit Germany made a request to purchase five Reapers and four ground control stations plus related support material and training The request being made through the Foreign Military Sales process was presented to Congress through the Defense Security Cooperation Agency on 1 August 2008 and is valued at US 205 million 116 117 However Germany did not go through with this procurement for the time being and decided to lease the IAI Heron offered by IAI and Rheinmetall instead initially for the duration of one year representing a stop gap measure before a long term decision on a MALE system is being made 118 119 120 121 Greece Edit On 21 April 2022 a well known Greek military journalist revealed in an interview that the Hellenic Air Force is discussing the purchase of 3 MQ 9 UCAVs along with the Israeli Heron TPs Given that the US Air Force has long been operating MQ 9s from Larissa Air Base Greece has some past experience with it from joint exercises 122 On 5 July 2022 the Hellenic Parliament approved the acquisition of 3 MQ 9B SeaGuardian UAVs along with 2 ground stations 123 On 28 July 2022 the Greek Minister of Nation Defence Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos confirmed the acquisition of the 3 UAVs 124 India Edit In June 2017 the US State Department approved the sale of 22 drones to India costing around 2 3 billion 125 As of February 2020 a deal to purchase 30 drones with 10 drones for each of the three Indian armed services was expected to be signed by the end of the fiscal year 126 127 128 In November 2020 the Indian Navy began operating two leased MQ 9B SeaGuardians The lease agreement was valid for one year and has been extended subsequently 129 The drones are deployed at the Naval Air Station Rajali located in Tamil Nadu 130 and it had logged close to 3 000 hours covering over 14 million square miles of operating area by August 2022 131 In February 2022 it was reported that Indian Navy had put the deal on the backburner and was instead looking at more indigenous options from the DRDO as well as upgrading its current fleet of IAI Heron drones 132 On 27 February 2022 PTI reported that the procurement for the 30 armed Predator B drones 10 each for the Indian Army Indian Navy and Indian Air Force is in the advanced stage and disputed earlier reports of the deal being put on the backburner with India reportedly providing good feedback on the SeaGuardians already on lease 133 Italy Edit On 1 August 2008 Italy submitted a FMS request through the Defense Security Cooperation Agency for four aircraft four ground stations and five years of maintenance support all valued at US 330 million 116 134 Italy ordered two more aircraft in November 2009 135 On 30 May 2012 it was reported that the U S planned to sell kits to arm Italy s six Reapers with Hellfire missiles and laser guided bombs 136 However Gen Alberto Rosso has expressed frustration at American delays in integrating additional weapons onto the platform and suggested that Italy may have to seek UAS alternatives 137 Italian Reapers were used in Libya since 10 August 2011 138 as part of its contribution to NATO s Operation Unified Protector flew about 300 hours in Kosovo since 13 March 2012 139 inbound NATO KFOR Joint Enterprise operation on Mare Nostrum mission Mediterranean sea migrants search and rescue operation by October 2013 140 into Afghanistan theater by January 2014 141 to replace Predator A On 3 November 2015 the U S approved a deal covering weapons integration onto Italy s Reaper aircraft which would make it the first country outside the UK to weaponize the drone The potential for increased contribution to NATO coalition operations improved operational flexibility and enhanced survivability for Italian forces prompted the request 142 On 20 November 2019 an Italian Air Force MQ 9 was shot down by a Pantsir system operated by the Libyan National Army or Wagner Group near the city of Tarhuna Libya 143 The Libyan National Army claimed to have shot down the drone that based on the initial reports was thought to be a Turkish operated drone supporting the opposed Government of National Accord The Italian Defense confirmed the loss stating the cause of the crash is under investigation 144 Netherlands Edit On 19 June 2013 General Atomics and Fokker Technologies signed a Memorandum of Understanding MOU to offer the MQ 9 Reaper to the Dutch government for their need of a MALE UAV The MOU recognizes that Fokker will assist in maintenance and support of the aircraft in the Netherlands if a deal goes through 145 On 21 November 2013 the Dutch Minister of Defense announced that the Royal Netherlands Air Force RNLAF has selected the MQ 9 Reaper Block V as its new MALE UAV The new MALE UAV 306 squadron will be based at Leeuwarden Air Base In July 2018 the Dutch government signed a Letter of Acceptance for the acquisition through the Foreign Military Sales process 146 The Dutch MQ 9 is to have the Synthetic Aperture Radar with the Maritime Search option and also a special ground search radar with more range and electronic sensors to detect ground radar and signals The RNLAF bought four ground stations two at Homebase 2 at forward operating base and four MQ 9s block V The aircraft are to reach full operational status in 2023 citation needed Four more systems are planned 147 The decision was also made to arm the reapers 148 Spain Edit On 6 August 2015 the Spanish Ministry of Defence announced it would buy four Reaper surveillance aircraft with two ground control stations for 25 million 27 million in 2016 costing 171 million over five years General Atomics will partner with Spanish Company SENER to deliver unarmed versions to Spain making it the fifth European country to order the Reaper In addition to selecting the Reaper Spain is interested in the joint German French Italian project to develop a European MALE UAV 149 The Defense Department cleared the purchase on 6 October 2015 Spain selected the Reaper over the Heron TP to perform homeland security counter insurgency and counter terrorism operations 150 The Spanish government agreed to purchase the system on 30 October 142 The Reaper was selected over the Heron TP mainly for commonality with NATO allies who also use the airframe Although Spain s immediate priority is for surveillance they will eventually try to weaponize the platform The first two aircraft and first GCS is planned for delivery in 2017 with the third aircraft in 2018 when they achieve IOC and the last in 2020 achieving full operational capability FOC 151 United Kingdom Edit A British MQ 9A Reaper operating over Afghanistan in 2009 On 27 September 2006 the U S Congress was notified by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency that the United Kingdom was seeking to purchase a pair of MQ 9A Reapers They were initially operated by No 39 Squadron from Creech Air Force Base Nevada later moving to RAF Waddington 152 A third MQ 9A was in the process of being purchased by the RAF in 2007 152 On 9 November 2007 the UK Ministry of Defence MOD announced that its Reapers had begun operations in Afghanistan against the Taliban 153 In April 2008 following the crash of one of the UK s two Reapers British special forces were sent to recover sensitive material from the wreckage before it was blown up to prevent the enemy from obtaining it 154 By May 2011 five Reapers were in operation with a further five on order 155 The second RAF squadron to operate five Reapers is No XIII Squadron which was formally activated and commissioned on 26 October 2012 156 No 39 Squadron personnel were planned to gradually return to the UK in 2013 and in time both squadrons would each operate five Reapers from RAF Waddington 157 In April 2013 XIII squadron started full operations from RAF Waddington exercising control over a complement of 10 Reapers at that point all based in Afghanistan 158 Five Reapers can provide 36 hours of combined surveillance coverage in Afghanistan with individual sorties lasting up to 16 hours A further five vehicles increases this to 72 hours In total RAF Reapers flew 71 000 flight hours in Afghanistan and dropped 510 guided weapons compared to 497 for Harrier and Tornado 159 160 In April 2013 it was revealed that the MOD was studying the adoption of MBDA s Brimstone missile upon the MQ 9 161 In December 2013 several successful test firings of the Brimstone missile from a Reaper at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake to support integration onto RAF Reapers 162 Nine missiles were fired at an altitude of 20 000 ft at distances of 7 to 12 km 4 3 to 7 5 mi from the targets all nine scored direct hits against static accelerating weaving and fast remotely controlled targets 163 In 2014 the MOD decided that its Reaper fleet will be brought into the RAF s core fleet once operations over Afghanistan cease Procurement of the MQ 9A was via an urgent operational capability requirement and funded from the Treasury reserve but induction into the core fleet will have them funded from the MoD s budget The Reapers were retained for contingent purposes mainly to perform intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance ISR until its replacement enters service around 2018 164 On 4 October 2015 David Cameron announced that the RAF would replace its existing fleet of 10 Reapers with more than 20 of the latest generation of RPAS named as Protector 165 166 In an April 2016 document the MoD revealed that Protector will be a version of the MQ 9B SkyGuardian formally known as Certifiable Predator B CPB made to fly in European airspace to be acquired from 2018 to 2030 167 In July 2018 it was announced that this aircraft will be designated Protector RG Mk 1 in RAF service and is to be delivered in 2023 168 On 16 October 2014 the MOD announced the deployment of armed Reapers in Operation Shader the UK s contribution to the United States led military intervention against Islamic State the first occasion the UK had used its Reapers outside Afghanistan The number of aircraft out of the RAF s 10 plane fleet was not disclosed but it was expected that at least two were sent more were dispatched as the UK drew down from Afghanistan RAF Reapers primary purpose is to provide surveillance support and situational awareness to coalition forces 169 170 On 10 November 2014 the MoD reported that an RAF Reaper had conducted its first airstrike against Islamic State forces firing a Hellfire missile at militants placing an IED near Bayji 171 RAF Reapers based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus conducted one surveillance mission over Syria in November 2014 four in December 2014 and eight in January 2015 On 7 September 2015 Prime Minister David Cameron announced that two Islamic State fighters from Britain had been killed in an intelligence led strike by an RAF Reaper near Raqqa Syria the first armed use of RAF assets in Syria during the civil war 172 By January 2016 RAF Reapers had flown 1 000 sorties in support of Operation Shader 173 Compared to operations in Afghanistan where RAF Reapers fired 16 Hellfire missiles in 2008 93 in 2013 and 94 in 2014 in operations against ISIL 258 Hellfires were fired in 2015 174 United Arab Emirates Edit On 10 November 2020 the US State Department approved the sale of up to 18 MQ 9Bs to the UAE pending approval by Congress 175 176 Taiwan Edit On 3 November 2020 the US State Department approved the sale of 4 MQ 9B along with Control Stations and Embedded Global Positioning System Inertial Navigations Systems EGI with Selective Availability Anti Spoofing Module SAASM to Taiwan 177 Japan Edit On 15 October 2020 General Atomics Aeronautical Systems conducted validation flights of the SeaGuardian UAV for the Japan Coast Guard JCG The test flight was conducted at a Japan Maritime Self Defense Force JMSDF air base in Hachinohe Both the JCG and JMSDF have expressed interest in acquiring SeaGuardian UAVs in order to conduct more ocean surveillance 178 179 Morocco Edit After the Israel Morocco normalization agreement in 2020 the US is to approve the sale of four MQ 9B SeaGuardians to Morocco 180 Potential operators Edit Finland Edit Finnish Defence Forces is doing test flights with the MQ 9 181 Poland Edit The Polish Ministry of National Defense announced on 28 February 2022 that it plans to purchase an unspecified number of MQ 9 Reaper drones 182 Cancelled acquisitions Edit Australia Edit In September 2006 the General Atomics Mariner demonstrator aircraft was operated by the Australian Defence Science and Technology Group DSTO in an exercise designed to evaluate the aircraft s ability to aid in efforts to stem illegal fishing drug running and illegal immigration The Mariner operated from Royal Australian Air Force bases Edinburgh South Australia and Learmonth Western Australia in conjunction with a Royal Australian Navy Armidale class patrol boat the Joint Offshore Protection Command and the Pilbara Regiment 183 In February 2015 it was announced that six RAAF personnel had been sent to Holloman AFB New Mexico and Creech AFB Nevada to undergo training 184 In August 2015 it was revealed that Australians had begun flying MQ 9s over Syria the first time Australia expanded operations past Iraq during the Military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Five RAAF personnel were embedded with the USAF 432d Operations Group which flies armed Reapers performing operational duties with the unit as MQ 9 system pilots and sensor operators 185 In November 2018 the Defence Minister Christopher Pyne announced that Australia would purchase 12 to 16 MQ 9s 186 In November 2019 Australia announced the selection of the MQ 9B for its armed Medium Altitude Long Endurance MALE RPAS requirement under Project Air 7003 citation needed In April 2021 the State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Australia of 12 MQ 9B Reapers and related equipment for an estimated cost of 1 651 billion 187 The Australian Government canceled the planned Reaper acquisition in March 2022 The funding intended for the project was redirected to expanding the Australian Signals Directorate 188 Variants EditSeaGuardian Edit A navalized Reaper named Mariner was proposed for the U S Navy s Broad Area Maritime Surveillance BAMS program It had an increased fuel capacity for an endurance of up to 49 hours 189 Variations included one for aircraft carrier operations with folding wings for storage shortened reinforced landing gear an arresting hook cut down or eliminated ventral flight surfaces and six stores pylons for a total load of 3 000 pounds 1 360 kilograms 13 The Northrop Grumman RQ 4N was selected as the BAMS winner US Customs and Border Protection CBP operates two maritime variants of the MQ 9 known as Guardians 91 The U S Coast Guard evaluated the Guardian including performing joint operations with CBP 190 CBP and the Coast Guard operate one MQ 9 Guardian jointly out of land based stations in Florida and Texas 94 General Atomics continued with the Naval Reaper concept turning it into the SeaGuardian It has an endurance of more than 18 hours and can mount an eight hour patrol at a radius of 1 200 nmi 1 400 mi 2 200 km A key part of its mission set is the Leonardo Seaspray 7500E V2 AESA radar mounted as a centerline pod with inverse synthetic aperture radar that can spot surface targets including ships submarine periscopes and people during search and rescue operations 191 General Atomics studied testing a sonobuoy launch capability from the Guardian in 2016 to demonstrate its ability to carry them control them and send information back to the ground station over a SATCOM link 192 In November 2020 a company owned Reaper carried out a trial releasing sonobuoys then processing information from them to track a training target This led to the creation of an anti submarine warfare package for the SeaGuardian the first self contained ASW package for a UAS The package comprises podded sonobuoy dispenser systems SDS using a pneumatic launch system to launch 10 A size or 20 G size buoys from each pod and a sonobuoy management and control system SMCS the aircraft can carry up to four pods 191 MQ 9 Block 5 Edit On 24 May 2012 General Atomics conducted the successful first flight of its upgraded MQ 9 Block 1 plus Reaper The Block 1 plus version was designed for increased electrical power secure communications automatic landing increased gross takeoff weight GTOW weapons growth and streamlined payload integration capabilities A new high capacity starter generator offers increased electrical power capacity to provide growth capacity a backup generator is also present and is sufficient for all flight critical functions improving the electrical power system s reliability via three independent power sources 193 194 New communications capabilities including dual ARC 210 VHF UHF radios with wingtip antennas allow for simultaneous communications between multiple air to air and air to ground parties secure data links and an increased data transmission capacity The new trailing arm main landing gear allows the carriage of heavier payloads or additional fuel Development and testing were completed and Milestone C was achieved in September 2012 Follow on aircraft will be redesignated MQ 9 Block 5 193 194 On 15 October 2013 the USAF awarded General Atomics a 377 4 million contract for 24 MQ 9 Block 5 Reapers 195 The MQ 9 Block 5 flew its first combat mission on 23 June 2017 1 SkyGuardian Edit The Sky Guardian at Laguna Army Airfield for testing and certification including a 48 2 hour endurance record and first FAA certification of an unmanned aircraft to fly in civilian air space 196 International demand for a MALE RPAS capable of being certified for operation within civilian airspace drove General Atomics to develop a version of the platform known by GA ASI as MQ 9B SkyGuardian previously called Certifiable Predator B to make it compliant with European flight regulations to get more sales in European countries In order to fly over national airspace the aircraft meets NATO STANAG 4671 airworthiness requirements with lightning protection different composite materials and sense and avoid technology 197 198 Performance changes include a 79 ft 24 m wingspan that has winglets and enough fuel for a 40 hour endurance at 50 000 ft 15 000 m Features include High Definition EO IR Full Motion Video sensor De Anti Icing System TCAS and Automatic Take Off amp Land The system also includes a completely redesigned amp modernized integrated ground control station with 4 crew stations 197 198 On 28 November 2019 the Australian Government announced the selection of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems GA ASI MQ 9B Sky Guardian as its preferred version of the Predator B for the RAAF s Project AIR 7003 MALE armed remotely piloted aircraft system RPAS requirement 199 The SeaGuardian is a proposed version of SkyGuardian but also fitted with Multimode 360 Maritime Surface Search Radar and Automatic identification system AIS 198 Protector Edit In April 2016 the United Kingdom announced that it intended to place an order for the Certifiable Predator B as part of its Protector MALE UAV program for the Royal Air Force 200 201 According to the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review the Royal Air Force will operate at least 20 Protector systems by 2025 replacing all of the ten MQ 9A Reapers 202 On 15 July 2018 a GA ASI Company owned MQ 9B SkyGuardian was flown from the United States to RAF Fairford in the UK for the first transatlantic flight of a MALE UAV It was displayed at the Royal International Air Tattoo RIAT air show where the aircraft was given markings of No 31 Squadron This followed an announcement by the RAF s Chief of Air Staff that No 31 Squadron would be the first RAF Squadron to operate a similar version of the MQ 9B aircraft to be known as the Protector RG Mark 1 RG1 starting in 2023 203 204 In July 2020 the Ministry of Defence signed a contract for three Protector UAVs with an option on an additional thirteen aircraft 205 It was announced in September 2021 that No XIII Squadron will become the second Protector squadron 206 Protector will be able to carry up to 18 Brimstone 2 missiles or Paveway IV bombs 207 Operators Edit FranceFrench Air and Space Force Armee de l air et de l espace Cognac Chateaubernard Air Base Charente Escadron de Drones 1 33 Belfort 208 IndiaIndian Navy 2 on lease since Nov 2020 209 INS Rajali Tamil Nadu ItalyItalian Air Force Aeronautica Militare 210 Amendola Air Base Province of Foggia 32 Stormo 211 28 Gruppo Naval Air Station Sigonella Sicily 32 Stormo 61 Gruppo Volo JapanJapan Coast Guard At least one SeaGuardian in operational use since October 2022 212 NetherlandsRoyal Netherlands Air Force 8 on order as of 2020 4 more to be ordered in 2022 213 214 Leeuwarden Air Base Friesland No 306 Squadron SpainSpanish Air and Space Force 215 Talavera la Real Air Base Extremadura ALA 23 216 217 233 Escuadron United KingdomRoyal Air Force 10 ordered with 9 in active service 1 more ordered in March 2021 218 RAF Waddington Lincolnshire No XIII Squadron 219 220 No 54 Squadron Operational Conversion Unit 221 Creech Air Force Base Nevada No 39 Squadron 222 United StatesUnited States Air Force Air Combat Command 49th Wing Holloman Air Force Base New Mexico 6th Attack Squadron 16th Training Squadron 9th Attack Squadron 29th Attack Squadron 53d Wing Eglin Air Force Base Florida 556th Test and Evaluation Squadron Creech Air Force Base Nevada 432nd Wing Creech Air Force Base Nevada 11th Attack Squadron 15th Attack Squadron 20th Attack Squadron Whiteman Air Force Base Missouri 22nd Attack Squadron 50th Attack Squadron Shaw Air Force Base South Carolina 89th Attack Squadron Ellsworth Air Force Base South Dakota 482nd Attack Squadron Shaw Air Force Base South Carolina 489th Attack Squadron United States Air Forces in Europe Air Forces Africa 31st Expeditionary Operations Group Detachment 1 71st Air Base Romania 223 52nd Expeditionary Operations Group Detachment 2 12th Air Base Poland 224 Air Force Special Operations Command 27th Special Operations Wing Cannon Air Force Base New Mexico 33d Special Operations Squadron 58th Special Operations Wing Kirtland Air Force Base New Mexico 551st Special Operations Squadron Air National Guard 107th Attack Wing Niagara Falls Air Force Base New York 136th Attack Squadron 174th Attack Wing Hancock Field Air National Guard Base New York 138th Attack Squadron 111th Attack Wing Horsham Air Guard Station Montgomery Pennsylvania 103rd Attack Squadron 118th Wing 118 WG Berry Field Nashville Tennessee 105th Attack Squadron 132nd Wing Des Moines Air National Guard Base Des Moines Iowa 124th Attack Squadron 147th Attack Wing 147 ATKW Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base Houston Texas 111th Reconnaissance Squadron 163d Attack Wing March AFB California 196th Attack Squadron 160th Attack Squadron 178th Wing Springfield Beckley Air National Guard Station Springfield Ohio 188th Wing 188 WG Ebbing Air National Guard Station Fort Smith Arkansas 184th Attack Squadron 110th Wing Battle Creek Air National Guard Base Battle Creek Michigan 172d Attack Squadron Air Force Reserve Command 919th Special Operations Wing Duke Field Florida 2nd Special Operations Squadron U S Customs and Border Protection Sierra Vista Arizona Grand Forks Air Force Base North Dakota Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Florida Naval Air Station Corpus Christi TexasSpecifications MQ 9A Edit Honeywell turboprop MQ 9 Reaper taxiing Data from USAF Fact Sheet 5 GlobalSecurity org 225 General characteristicsCrew 0 onboard 2 in ground station Length 36 ft 1 in 11 m Wingspan 65 ft 7 in 20 m Height 12 ft 6 in 3 81 m Empty weight 4 901 lb 2 223 kg Max takeoff weight 10 494 lb 4 760 kg Fuel capacity 4 000 lb 1 800 kg Payload 3 800 lb 1 700 kg Internal 800 lb 360 kg External 3 000 lb 1 400 kg Powerplant 1 Honeywell TPE331 10 turboprop 900 hp 671 kW with Digital Electronic Engine Control DEEC 226 Performance Maximum speed 300 mph 482 km h 260 kn Cruise speed 194 mph 313 km h 169 kn 227 Range 1 200 mi 1 900 km 1 000 nmi Endurance 14 hours fully loaded 228 Service ceiling 50 000 ft 15 420 m Operational altitude 25 000 ft 7 5 km 229 Armament 7 hardpoints Up to 1 500 lb 680 kg on the two inboard weapons stations 230 Up to 750 lb 340 kg on the two middle stations 230 Up to 150 lb 68 kg on the outboard stations 230 Center station not used Up to four AGM 114 Hellfire air to ground missiles can be carried or four Hellfire missiles and two 500 lb 230 kg GBU 12 Paveway II laser guided bombs The 500 lb 230 kg GBU 38 Joint Direct Attack Munition JDAM can also be carried Testing is underway needs update to support the operation of the Air to Air Stinger ATAS In March 2014 MBDA successfully test fired a dual mode Brimstone missile from a Reaper aircraft on behalf of the UK Ministry of Defence and Royal Air Force 231 Depending on mission requirements the MQ 9 Reaper can carry multiple AIM 9X Block 2 missiles 232 Avionics AN DAS 1 MTS B Multi Spectral Targeting System 233 AN APY 8 Lynx II radar 234 Raytheon SeaVue Marine Search Radar Guardian variants 91 See also Edit Aviation portalDrone strikes in Pakistan during the 2000s War on Terror usually attributed to either the MQ 1 or MQ 9 Measurement and signature intelligenceRelated development General Atomics Avenger formerly Predator C General Atomics MQ 1 Predator General Atomics MQ 1C Gray Eagle General Atomics MojaveAircraft of comparable role configuration and era BAE Systems Mantis Baykar Bayraktar Akinci IAI Eitan CAIG Wing Loong IIRelated lists List of active United States military aircraft List of unmanned aerial vehiclesReferences Edit a b The Air Force s Newest MQ 9 Reaper Drone Is Now Hunting ISIS Military com Press release US Air Force 30 June 2017 Archived from the original on 7 July 2017 Escutia Sondra 29 October 2009 4 remotely piloted vehicle squadrons stand up at Holloman US Air Force Archived from the original on 29 July 2012 Retrieved 1 January 2012 Peterson Kyle 16 December 2009 You say drone I say remotely piloted Reuters Archived from the original on 26 July 2012 Retrieved 1 January 2012 a b c d Reaper moniker given to MQ 9 unmanned aerial vehicle US Air Force 14 September 2006 Archived from the original on 14 September 2011 Retrieved 1 January 2012 a b c MQ 9 REAPER fact sheet US Air Force 18 August 2010 Archived from the original on 26 August 2013 Retrieved 27 December 2011 Charles J Hanley Unmanned Reapers bound for Iraq Afghanistan Air Force Times Retrieved 12 January 2012 a b c d e Remarks by Secretary Gates at the United States Air Force Academy Department of Defense News Transcript 4 March 2011 Archived from the original on 10 April 2011 a b Insinna Valerie 26 May 2021 Get ready for another fight over the future of the MQ 9 Reaper Defense News Whittle Richard The Man Who Invented the Predator Air amp Space Magazine Air amp Space Magazine Archived from the original on 4 February 2016 Retrieved 28 January 2016 a b Predator B UAS General Atomics Archived from the original on 11 October 2008 Retrieved 12 January 2012 Predator RQ 1 MQ 1 MQ 9 Reaper airforce technology com Archived from the original on 5 March 2011 Retrieved 12 January 2012 Note endurance figures vary greatly from source to source The current figure being publicized by the USAF is 14 hours a b c d e Greg Goebel 1 March 2010 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Archived from the original on 10 November 2012 Retrieved 12 January 2012 a b Reaper A New Way to Wage War Time 1 June 2009 p 40 Air Force s hunter killer UAV now flying in Afghanistan US Air Force 10 November 2007 Archived from the original on 29 June 2011 Retrieved 12 January 2012 Spencer Ackerman 14 December 2010 Air Force Is Through With Predator Drones Wired Archived from the original on 5 January 2012 Retrieved 12 January 2012 Shaun Waterman 5 August 2008 Bigger Deadlier Reaper Drone Deployed in Iraq The Washington Times Archived from the original on 28 June 2009 Retrieved 5 August 2008 USAF slammed for pranging Predators on manual The Register 29 April 2009 Archived from the original on 3 February 2012 Retrieved 12 January 2012 SOCOM Wants to Deploy MQ 9 Drones to Remote Areas Archived 15 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine Military com 16 September 2013 Raytheon and General Atomics team up to integrate MALD onto Reaper Archived 18 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine Flightglobal com 13 February 2013 Predator B Successfully Demonstrates Electronic Attack Capability in USMC Exercise Archived 1 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine Deagel com 13 August 2013 GA ASI amp Northrop Grumman Showcase Add l Unmanned EA Attack Capabilities in 2nd USMC Exercise Archived 3 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine sUASNews com 22 January 2014 US Missile Defense Agency Testing Reaper as Missile Hunter Archived 15 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine UASvision com 24 August 2011 MDA Eyes UAVs For Discrimination Boost Phase Kill Archived 15 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine Aviationweek com 16 August 2013 USAF Reapers demonstrate missile tracking capability Archived 17 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine Flightglobal com 16 August 2016 The Air Force Wants To Make Its Drones Smarter and Deadlier Archived 6 August 2015 at the Wayback Machine Defenseone com 3 August 2015 USAF science panel recommends MQ 9 RQ 4 improvement plan Archived 8 August 2015 at the Wayback Machine Flightglobal com 5 August 2015 USAF intel chief proposes single operator MQ 9 cockpit Archived 29 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine Flightglobal com 28 October 2015 USAF to automate MQ 9 takeoffs and landings Archived 6 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine Flightglobal com 4 May 2016 Radar warning receiver flies for the first time in Predator drone Archived 7 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine UPI com 11 April 2017 MQ 9 Reaper Drone Flies with Double Hellfire Missiles in New Test Military com 30 September 2020 MQ 9 Software Upgrade Doubles Hellfire Capacity Air Force Magazine 30 September 2020 Double the firepower MQ 9 tests flying with eight Hellfire missile Air Force Times 1 October 2020 GDC 14 July 2021 Pentagon Wants To Equip MQ 9 Reaper With Directed Energy Weapons Global Defense Corp Retrieved 15 July 2021 Ewing Philip GA ASI The Future of Small UAS General Atomics Aeronautical General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc Retrieved 29 September 2022 a b Collinson R P G 2011 Introduction to Avionic Systems Springer p 495 ISBN 978 94 007 0707 8 Ready for Retirement Can Predator Find New Home Defensenews com 13 May 2014 Elmendorf Douglas W 2010 Alternatives for Modernizing U S Fighter Forces DIANE Publishing p 38 ISBN 978 1 4379 2250 9 Sense and Avoid The United States Air Force Perspective PDF UVS Info Archived from the original PDF on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 27 November 2015 SSgt Amy Robinson 11 August 2006 FAA Authorizes Predators to seek survivors Air Combat Command Public Affairs Archived from the original on 29 June 2012 Retrieved 1 September 2006 GA ASI Radar Shines During USN Spearhead IIA Exercise Archived 15 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine sUASNews com 28 August 2014 Marc V Schanz November 2011 The New Normal for RPAs Airforce magazine com 94 11 53 Archived from the original on 20 November 2012 Retrieved 28 November 2011 Sierra Nevada fields ARGUS IS upgrade to Gorgon Stare pod Archived 14 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine Flightglobal com 2 July 2014 GA ASI Introduces New Design on Predator B MQ 9 Reaper Landing Gear Archived 4 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine GA ASI 9 January 2012 Extended Endurance Reaper Archived 11 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine Wired com Reaper upgrades Archived 23 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine General Atomics Predator B ER Conducts First Long Range Endurance Flight Archived 22 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine sUASNews com 17 July 2014 Reaper ER Extends RPA Missions to 33 Hours Archived 20 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine Defense Update com 16 September 2015 The drones hunting ISIS have grown more lethal Archived 20 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine Wearethemightly com 7 April 2016 Predator B Extended Range Conducts First Flight With Long Wings General Atomics amp Affiliated Companies Archived from the original on 18 April 2017 Retrieved 17 April 2017 Ryan Whitney 3 May 2007 Air Force stands up first unmanned aircraft systems wing 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs Archived from the original on 8 May 2007 Reaper scores insurgent kill in Afghanistan Air Force Times 29 October 2007 Retrieved 15 August 2008 Brook Tom Vanden Air Force Requests More Fighter Drones USA Today 6 March 2008 p 6 Thom Shanker 29 July 2008 Air Force Plans Altered Role in Iraq The New York Times Archived from the original on 12 April 2018 Retrieved 21 February 2017 Jim Mannion 3 August 2008 Air Force Looks to a New Drone To Keep Peace in Iraq Agence France Presse dead link Warplanes Rise of the Droids bv Strategy Page 11 August 2008 Archived from the original on 13 August 2008 Retrieved 12 August 2008 Drew Christopher 16 March 2009 Drones Are Weapons of Choice in Fighting Qaeda The New York Times Archived from the original on 12 May 2013 Retrieved 17 March 2009 Considered a novelty a few years ago the Air Force s fleet has grown to 195 Predators and 28 Reapers a new and more heavily armed cousin of the Predator Jason Straziuso 24 October 2009 U S Deploys Drones Against Somali Pirates CBS News Associated Press Archived from the original on 5 January 2010 Retrieved 26 September 2010 Chivers C J McLean Alan Schoenfeld Amy Tse Archie 25 July 2010 Non Combat Event Equipment Failure Rpr ISAF HQ 0 INJ DAM The New York Times Archived from the original on 21 March 2017 Retrieved 21 February 2017 Tony Reichhardt 22 September 2009 Robot airplane goes AWOL gets shot down The Daily Planet Archived from the original on 16 November 2010 Retrieved 8 September 2010 Zucchino David 6 July 2010 War zone drone crashes add up Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on 11 July 2010 Retrieved 7 July 2010 McGarry Brendan 18 June 2012 Drones Most Accident Prone U S Air Force Craft BGOV Barometer Archived 26 August 2013 at the Wayback Machine Bloomberg L P Retrieved 4 February 2013 Kingstone Steve 28 October 2011 US flies drones from Ethiopia to fight Somali militants BBC News Archived from the original on 19 November 2018 Retrieved 20 June 2018 Libyan officials U S drones behind airport closure Blog al com 15 September 2012 Archived from the original on 17 November 2012 Retrieved 18 November 2012 US drone crashed in Mali in April Archived 3 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine sUASNews com 13 July 2013 RPAs reach 2 million hours Archived 30 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine sUASNews com 25 October 2013 Drew James Holloman AFB to train 40 more Predator Reaper pilots in 2016 FlightGlobal Archive Reaper Strike Likely Killed Jihadi John Archived 15 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine Defensetech org 13 November 2015 More Air Force drones are crashing than ever as mysterious new problems emerge The Washington Post Archived from the original on 25 January 2016 Retrieved 25 January 2016 Mizokami Kyle 2 October 2017 U S Reaper Drone Shot Down Over Yemen Popular Mechanics Archived from the original on 2 October 2017 Retrieved 3 October 2017 Jeremy Binnie and Neil Gibson 5 October 2017 US Reaper shot down over Sanaa Jane s Defence Weekly IHS Archived from the original on 11 October 2017 Retrieved 11 October 2017 Snow Shawn 2 October 2017 US MQ 9 drone shot down in Yemen Pawlyk Oriana 19 September 2018 MQ 9 Gets First Air to Air Kill in Training Exercise Air Force Official Says Military com Archived from the original on 6 May 2019 Retrieved 28 April 2019 CENTCOM MQ 9 Reaper shot down over Yemen last week Military Times 15 June 2019 U S drone shot down over Yemen officials Reuters 21 August 2019 Binnie Jeremy 28 August 2019 Yemeni rebels unveil new SAM Jane s Defence Weekly IHS Cenciotti David 23 November 2019 U S Drone Lost Over Tripoli The Day After Italy Lost a Predator B in Libya New Jamming Capability Deployed The Aviationist Crowley Michael Hassan Falih Schmitt Eric 2 January 2020 U S Strike in Iraq Kills Qassim Suleimani Commander of Iranian Forces The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on 3 January 2020 2 US MQ 9 Reaper drones collide over Syria 20 August 2020 Two MQ 9 Reaper Drones Collide Over Syria After Days Of Sightings From Those on the Ground The Drive 18 August 2020 Turkish military shot down at least one US Air Force UAV over Idlib Bulgarian Military 19 August 2020 Two US drones collide and crash over Idlib Syria defense official says Military Times 18 August 2020 US Poland Finish Negotiations on Troop Increase Drones Air Force Magazine 3 August 2020 Retrieved 28 April 2021 Clement Charpentreau 14 July 2022 USAF MQ 9 Reaper drone crashes in Romania AeroTime Hub Bethany Karlberg 16 February 2021 MQ 9 begins flying missions from Romania United States Air Forces in Europe Air Forces Africa a b NASA ERAST Fact Sheet NASA Archived from the original on 7 March 2012 Retrieved 27 December 2011 Ikhana Unmanned Science and Research Aircraft System NASA 15 August 2007 Archived from the original on 28 October 2007 Retrieved 27 October 2007 Emergency UAV Mission to Esperanza Fire NASA November 2006 Archived from the original on 17 July 2007 NASA Supports UAS Fire Mapping Efforts on California Fire NASA 1 October 2009 Archived from the original on 24 November 2010 Retrieved 26 September 2010 NASA Ikhana UAV to monitor Orion test module s descent Archived 8 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine Flightglobal com 5 December 2014 a b c d Guardian UAS Maritime Variant Predator B PDF US Customs and Border Patrol Archived from the original PDF on 23 October 2011 Retrieved 3 March 2013 CBP UAS Overview U S Customs and Border Protection 6 February 2009 Archived from the original on 16 October 2009 Retrieved 7 February 2009 Guardian UAS Persistent Maritime Surveillance PDF CBP USCG UAS Joint Program Office Archived from the original PDF on 1 March 2013 Retrieved 5 February 2012 a b Rico Antonieta 10 August 2013 UAV a success for Coast Guard in major drug bust Military Times Archived from the original on 13 August 2013 CHI06MA121 National Transportation Safety Board Archived from the original on 5 April 2012 Retrieved 27 December 2011 National Strategy for Homeland Security Archived from the original PPT on 12 January 2012 Retrieved 26 September 2010 Alice Lipowicz 17 October 2006 Predator to be on the prowl again Government Computer News Archived from the original on 3 November 2006 Retrieved 31 October 2006 U S launches unmanned aerial drones to monitor Manitoba border Canadian Broadcasting Corporation 16 February 2009 Archived from the original on 3 May 2009 Retrieved 22 June 2009 Pilots Say Go Slow on Commercial Drones After Ditching Bloomberg L P Archived from the original on 27 March 2014 Retrieved 7 March 2017 Stanley Greg 5 June 2020 Few answers on who asked feds to circle a Predator surveillance drone over Minneapolis protests Star Tribune Retrieved 18 October 2020 Heilweil Rebecca 10 June 2020 Members of Congress want to know more about law enforcement s surveillance of protesters Vox Retrieved 18 October 2020 Williams Huw 31 January 2018 Belgium eyes Predator B derivative for MALE UAS requirement IHS Jane s 360 London Archived from the original on 2 February 2018 Retrieved 2 February 2018 Fiorenza Nicholas 25 October 2018 Belgium chooses F 35 invests in armoured vehicles and MALE UAS IHS Jane s 360 London Archived from the original on 25 October 2018 Retrieved 29 October 2018 Perry Dominic 26 October 2018 Belgium lines up Predator acquisition FlightGlobal London Archived from the original on 29 October 2018 Retrieved 29 October 2018 Insinna Valerie 26 March 2019 US State Department approves sale of Sky Guardian drones to Belgium Defense News Washington Archived from the original on 26 March 2019 Retrieved 26 March 2019 Belgium MQ 9B SkyGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft RPA Washington Defense Security Cooperation Agency 26 March 2019 Archived from the original on 26 March 2019 Retrieved 26 March 2019 Dominican authorities unleash a US Predator on drug trafficking Update Dominican Today 16 July 2012 Archived from the original on 9 December 2012 Retrieved 15 August 2012 France Opts for U S Reapers Archived 10 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine Defense Update com com 31 May 2013 Pentagon notifies Congress of potential French MQ 9 Reaper buy Archived 4 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine Flightglobal com 28 June 2013 France concludes deal for 16 Reapers Archived 27 August 2013 at the Wayback Machine Flightglobal com 26 August 2013 French air force pilots complete first Reaper training flight Archived 11 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine Flightglobal com 11 October 2013 French Pilots Qualified on General Atomics MQ 9 Reaper amp send on Sahel surveillance mission soon Airrecognition com 29 November 2013 French AF Conducts First Reaper Flight Defensenews com 16 January 2014 French Reaper reaches 500 Mali flight hours Archived 27 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine Shephardmedia com 24 April 2014 Air Algerie Flight AH5017 crash Plane disintegrated French officials say CBC News 25 July 2014 Retrieved 27 November 2015 a b Michael Fishpool 5 August 2008 Germany Italy make initial requests for MQ 9 Reaper FlightGlobal Archived from the original on 15 August 2008 Retrieved 7 August 2008 Germany 5 MQ 9 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Aircraft PDF DSCA 1 August 2008 Archived from the original PDF on 9 December 2008 Heron Aufklarungsdrohnen fur die Bundeswehr Rheinmetall Defence 28 October 2009 Archived from the original on 20 September 2012 Retrieved 8 September 2010 Warum Heron 1 doch gewann Handelsblatt 21 June 2009 Archived from the original on 24 June 2009 Retrieved 8 September 2010 Schwierige Wahl im SAATEG Wettbewerb Flugrevue de Archived from the original on 4 October 2011 Retrieved 8 September 2010 Germany selects IAI s Heron UAV for Afghanistan mission FlightGlobal Archived from the original on 2 November 2009 Retrieved 8 September 2010 EKTAKTO Agora 3 amerikanikwn MQ 9 Predator apo thn PA apokalyptei o B Nedos sthn K ptisidiastima com in Greek 22 April 2022 Savvas Vlassis H Boylh enekrine 5 e3oplistika MQ 9B SeaGuardian kai AAV7A1 syzhth8hkan entona in Greek doureios com Retrieved 5 July 2022 Answer to Question 5545 01 06 2022 of the Hellenic Parliament PDF in Greek Athens Ministry of National Defence Greece 26 July 2022 Archived from the original PDF on 20 September 2022 Retrieved 30 September 2022 Modi Trump meet US approves sale of 22 Guardian drones to India Times of India indiatimes com Archived from the original on 23 June 2017 Retrieved 24 June 2017 Long wait over Indian Armed forces to get high tech US Armed Drones equipped with missiles India Rejects MQ 9 Purchase over Budget Constraints Report Indian Navy approaches defence ministry for Predator drone acquisition Hindustan Times 3 June 2021 Retrieved 15 July 2021 India in advanced stage talks with US to procure MQ 9B drones for LAC vigil Refiff com 21 August 2022 Retrieved 21 August 2022 India leases hi tech US naval drones to boost surveillance intel Hindustan Times 25 November 2020 Retrieved 25 November 2020 India in advanced stage talks with US to procure MQ 9B drones for LAC vigil Refiff com 21 August 2022 Retrieved 21 August 2022 Gupta Shishir 23 February 2022 Plan to buy Predator drones put on hold Hindustan Times Retrieved 24 February 2022 of India Press trust 27 February 2022 India US Deal For 30 Armed Predator Drones at Advanced Stages Report NDTV News Retrieved 27 February 2022 Italy 4 MQ 9 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Aircraft PDF DSCA 1 August 2008 Archived from the original PDF on 9 December 2008 Italy Might Reap Two More MQ 9 UAVs SatNews com 24 November 2009 Archived from the original on 16 July 2011 Retrieved 11 March 2010 Entous Adam 29 May 2012 U S Plans to Arm Italy s Drones The Wall Street Journal Archived from the original on 7 February 2015 Retrieved 7 July 2012 i HLS 13 May 2013 European Air Forces Seek a Common Weaponized UAS Archived from the original on 6 February 2015 Retrieved 6 February 2015 Luca Peruzzi Italy flies first Predator B sortie over Libya Archived from the original on 6 February 2015 Retrieved 6 February 2015 Il portale dell Aeronautica Militare Kosovo primo volo del Predator Archived from the original on 6 February 2015 Retrieved 6 February 2015 Immigration Italy launches Mare Nostrum 400 more saved General news ANSAMed it 15 October 2013 Archived from the original on 14 May 2014 Retrieved 6 February 2015 Italian Predator Bs start Afghan duty Archived 23 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine Flightglobal com 20 January 2014 a b US authorises weapons upgrade for Italian Reapers Archived 27 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine Flightglobal com 4 November 2015 Russia and Turkey employ thousands of Syrian mercenaries to fight in Libya 12 September 2020 Updated Italian Air Force MQ 9A Predator B Drone Allegedly Shot Down in Libya Images Surface on Social Media 20 November 2019 GA ASI and Fokker Team to Offer Predator B to the Netherlands PAS13 Archived 31 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine sUASNews com 19 June 2013 Defensie kiest Reaper als onbemand vliegtuig Archived 3 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine Ministerie van Defensie 21 November 2013 Defensie koopt versneld F 35 s en MQ 9 Reapers Nieuwsbericht Defensie nl 24 June 2022 Moties ingediend bij het tweeminutendebat Hoofdlijnen Defensiebeleid Spain To Buy 4 US Surveillance Drones Defensenews com 6 August 2015 US clears GA ASI to export MQ 9s to Spain Archived 25 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine Flightglobal com 7 October 2015 Spain reveals plans for armed MQ 9 Archived 25 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine Flightglobal com 24 November 2015 a b Air Forces Monthly December 2007 issue p 6 Amos Jonathan 9 November 2007 Skynet military launch is delayed BBC News Retrieved 13 May 2010 Corera Gordon 6 June 2008 How UK fights remote control war BBC News Archived from the original on 21 April 2009 Retrieved 5 April 2009 Royal Air Force to get new Reaper squadron Unmanned 13 May 2011 Archived from the original on 23 May 2013 Retrieved 19 March 2013 MOD Top Level Messages March 2012 PDF Archived from the original PDF on 16 August 2012 Retrieved 18 November 2012 UK Reaper force set to double defencemanagement com 19 March 2012 Archived from the original on 21 January 2013 Retrieved 23 October 2012 Armed drones operated from RAF base in UK says MoD BBC News 27 April 2013 Archived from the original on 28 April 2013 Retrieved 6 February 2015 Operation Herrick aircraft Official Statistics UK Ministry of Defence 29 October 2015 Archived from the original on 15 January 2016 Retrieved 19 March 2022 RAF ready for Reaper fleet boost confirms expeditionary plan Archived 1 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine Flightglobal com 16 January 2014 U K Looks To Integrate Brimstone On Reaper UAV Archived 11 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine Aviation Week 3 May 2013 UK analysing Reaper results with Brimstone missile Archived 28 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine Flightglobal com 24 January 2014 MBDA s Brimstone Demonstrates its Precision Low Capability from Reaper Archived 30 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine MBDA Systems com 21 March 2014 RAF Reapers to enter service s core fleet Archived 15 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine Flightglobal com 1 August 2014 PM announces investment in counter terrorism capabilities for the Armed Forces UK Ministry of Defence Archived from the original on 5 October 2015 Retrieved 4 October 2015 Stevenson Beth 7 October 2015 MoD reveals Reaper derivative will be chosen for Protector FlightGlobal Archived from the original on 8 December 2015 Retrieved 27 November 2015 UK selects Certifiable Predator B as Reaper replacement Archived 28 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine Flightglobal com 27 April 2016 Protector makes its way to the UK Royal Air Force 11 July 2018 Archived from the original on 12 July 2018 UK deploys Reaper to the Middle East Ministry of Defence 16 October 2014 Archived from the original on 28 January 2015 Retrieved 16 October 2014 RAF Reapers to operate over Iraq Archived 18 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine Flightglobal com 16 October 2014 RAF Reaper performs first Hellfire strike in Iraq Archived 11 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine Flightglobal com 11 November 2014 Islamic State conflict Two Britons killed in RAF Syria strike BBC News 7 September 2015 Archived from the original on 2 December 2015 Retrieved 27 November 2015 Stevenson Beth 12 January 2016 RAF deploys Brimstone for counter IS attacks FlightGlobal archived from the original on 15 January 2016 retrieved 12 January 2016 UK reveals sharp increase in Reaper Hellfire use Archived 2 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine Flightglobal com 1 February 2016 United Arab Emirates MQ 9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft Defense Security Coooperation Agency 10 November 2020 Retrieved 11 November 2020 Defense News Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States TECRO MQ 9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft Defense Security Cooperation Agency General Atomics Starts SeaGuardian RPAS Validation Flights in Japan Naval News 20 October 2020 Retrieved 19 March 2021 Inaba Yoshihiro 18 November 2020 Japan Coast Guard And JMSDF Planning To Use UAVs For Ocean Surveillance Naval News Retrieved 19 March 2021 U S Set to OK MQ 9B Drone Sales to Morocco after it Normalizes Ties with Israel Defense World 11 December 2020 Retrieved 1 December 2021 Finnish Defense Forces is Testing Unmanned Aerial Systems the Finnish Defence Forces Bojowe MQ 9 Reaper jako pilna potrzeba operacyjna 28 February 2022 Australia Tests Maritime Surveillance UAV Defense Update 4 September 2006 Archived from the original on 8 January 2012 Retrieved 12 January 2012 RAAF commences Reaper training 15 February 2015 Archived from the original on 23 February 2015 Retrieved 22 February 2015 Australian pilots began flying US MQ 9 Reaper drones over Syria to fight against IS Archived 29 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine Airrecognition com 14 August 2015 Australia to buy armed Reaper drones in shift towards pilotless future 15 November 2018 Archived from the original on 16 November 2018 Retrieved 16 November 2018 Australia MQ 9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft Defense Security Cooperation Agency www dsca mil Retrieved 28 April 2021 Bergmann Kym 1 April 2022 AIR 7003 armed UCAV project cancelled APDR Retrieved 1 April 2022 Mariner General Atomics Archived from the original on 10 May 2006 Future os Unmanned Aircraft Systems Highlighted PDF Delivering the Goods News from U S Coast Guard Acquisition US Coast Guard Archived from the original PDF on 15 December 2011 Retrieved 27 December 2011 a b General Atomics Advances SeaGuardian Systems Aviation International News 20 January 2021 New maritime capability developed for MQ 9 Archived 29 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine Flightglobal 25 September 2015 a b 29 January 2013 USAF Works To Address Avionics Software Deficiencies In MQ 9 Reaper Archived 3 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Inside Defence Retrieved 3 March 2013 a b GA ASI Introduces System Wide Enhancements for Predator B MQ 9 Reaper Archived 5 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine sUAS News 5 September 2012 Air Force to buy 24 late model Reaper hunter killer UAVs under terms of 377 4 million contract Archived 31 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine sUAS News 22 October 2013 Game changing unmanned aircraft tested at U S Army Yuma Proving Ground Army Mark Schauer ATEC dated 3 June 2019 Retrieved 24 July 2019 a b General Atomics Readies Drone for European Skies Archived 26 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine DoDBuzz 25 June 2015 a b c Sky guardian PDF data sheet GA SI Archived PDF from the original on 3 April 2018 Retrieved 17 July 2018 Govt announces MQ 9B Sky Guardian for AIR 7003 ADBR 28 November 2019 Justification of the decision of the procurer to award the contract without the prior publication of a contract notice HM Government 24 April 2016 Archived from the original on 14 September 2016 Retrieved 26 April 2016 UK To Buy Certifiable Predator B Aerossurance 25 April 2016 Archived from the original on 29 April 2016 Retrieved 26 April 2016 National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 PDF HM Government November 2015 Archived PDF from the original on 24 November 2015 Retrieved 23 November 2015 General Atomics MQ 9B UAV Completes Transatlantic Flight Defense World Archived from the original on 17 July 2018 Retrieved 17 July 2018 Farnborough RAF touts potential of Protector programme FlightGlobal Archived from the original on 17 July 2018 Retrieved 17 July 2018 MOD signs 65 million contract for Protector aircraft UK Ministry of Defence London 15 July 2020 Retrieved 16 July 2020 Jennings Gareth 16 September 2021 RAF names 13 Sqn as second Protector unit Janes com Retrieved 17 November 2021 Joseph Dempsey JosephHDempsey 18 July 2018 No fire but certainly a lot 18 of Brimstone byMBDA for the UK future Protector UAV Tweet via Twitter France conducts its first MQ 9 Reaper flight janes com 25 September 2013 Archived from the original on 15 October 2013 MQ 9 Reaper drone India leases top notch US drones for surveillance amid border row with China The Times of India Orbat ITALY AERONAUTICA MILITARE Scramble Retrieved 17 November 2021 Italia acquisira 4 UAV Predator B Reaper Difesanews it 19 February 2008 Archived from the original on 22 July 2011 Retrieved 8 September 2010 Japan Coast Guard to share real time surveillance info with navy First Dutch Crews Fly MQ 9 Reaper Retrieved 25 March 2020 Kamer in 1 5 uur akkoord met megaorder voor extra straaljagers en drones House after 1 5 hours agrees to mega order for extra jets and drones in Dutch 4 July 2022 Retrieved 4 July 2022 Orbat SPAIN AIR FORCE Scramble Retrieved 17 November 2021 Ejercito del Aire Noticias Detalle de noticia Gana el Reaper Espana comprara cuatro UAV Reaper en version Block 5 y equipo asociado por 243 miliones de dolares Gaining the Reaper Spain will buy four Reaper UAV version Block 5 and team associated by 243 million dollars Defensa com in Spanish 7 October 2015 Archived from the original on 17 November 2015 Retrieved 27 November 2015 Jennings Gareth 1 April 2021 UK acquires second operating location Reaper UAV Jane s Defence Weekly Retrieved 8 April 2021 XIII Squadron Royal Air Force Archived from the original on 15 January 2016 Retrieved 27 November 2015 Allison George 17 September 2021 Second Protector squadron to be 13 Squadron Number 54 Squadron Royal Air Force Archived from the original on 14 March 2017 Retrieved 6 January 2017 Number 39 Squadron Royal Air Force Archived from the original on 15 January 2016 Retrieved 27 November 2015 Amelia Smith 14 July 2022 MQ 9 Reaper Has Crashed in Romania Overt Defense Combat Aircraft Stamford Lincolnshire England Key Publishing Ltd September 2019 p 11 MQ 9 Reaper Predator B GlobalSecurity org 13 May 2010 Archived from the original on 8 April 2017 Retrieved 8 September 2010 Tech Spotlight TPE331 10 Turboprop Honeywell Aerospace Engineering Honeywell com Retrieved 8 September 2010 Archived 13 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine Reaper UAV To Receive Improved Targeting From Raytheon SatNews com 24 September 2008 Archived from the original on 16 July 2011 Retrieved 8 September 2010 MQ 9 Reaper Hunter Killer UAV Defense Update Archived from the original on 22 November 2010 Retrieved 8 September 2010 Field Army ISTAR Handbook Restricted PDF Archived from the original PDF on 15 May 2008 a b c A F T O 1Q9 M A 1 Dual Mode Brimstone Achieves Direct Hits in MQ 9 Reaper Testing MBDA 24 March 2014 Archived from the original on 9 December 2014 Retrieved 9 December 2014 US Air Force fires AIM 9X from MQ 9 Reaper Global Defense Corp 24 September 2020 Retrieved 30 July 2021 AN DAS 1 Multi spectral Targeting System MTS B United States Jane s Electronic Mission Aircraft 15 March 2010 Archived from the original on 24 September 2009 Retrieved 8 September 2010 Lynx AN APY 8 Defense Update com 23 August 2006 Archived from the original on 5 January 2010 Retrieved 8 September 2010 This article contains material that originally came from the web articleUnmanned Aerial Vehiclesby Greg Goebel which exists in the public domain External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to General Atomics MQ 9 Reaper MQ 9 Predator Factsheet on U S Air Force site General Atomics Aeronautical Systems YMQ 9 Reaper National Museum of the United States Air Force MQ 9 Reaper Predator B UAV Defense Update com Reaper page on Globalsecurity org General Atomics MQ 9 Reaper Predator B Designation Systems net Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title General Atomics MQ 9 Reaper amp oldid 1136820495, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.