![]() ![]() Because offensive uses of the Predator are classified by the U.S., U.S. The MQ-1 Predator was the primary remotely piloted aircraft used for offensive operations by the USAF and the CIA in Afghanistan and the Pakistani tribal areas from 2001 until the introduction of the MQ-9 Reaper it has also been deployed elsewhere. Powered by a Rotax engine and driven by a propeller, the air vehicle can fly up to 400 nmi (460 mi 740 km) to a target, loiter overhead for 14 hours, then return to its base. The UAS consists of four aircraft or "air vehicles" with sensors, a ground control station (GCS), and a primary satellite link communication suite. The USAF describes the Predator as a "Tier II" MALE UAS (medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system). The aircraft entered service in 1995, and saw combat in the war in Afghanistan, Pakistan, the NATO intervention in Bosnia, 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, the Iraq War, Yemen, the 2011 Libyan civil war, the 2014 intervention in Syria, and Somalia. It was modified and upgraded to carry and fire two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles or other munitions. Conceived in the early 1990s for aerial reconnaissance and forward observation roles, the Predator carries cameras and other sensors. If the Air Force wants to replace Reapers on a 1:1 basis, the replacement will have to be cheap enough to be purchased in large quantities.The General Atomics MQ-1 Predator (often referred to as the Predator drone ) is an American remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) built by General Atomics that was used primarily by the United States Air Force (USAF) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The Reaper costs $64 million each, versus $95 million for a F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Stealthy aircraft get expensive very quickly, and one great advantage of drones over manned aircraft is that they are cheaper. ![]() The key for the new drone is affordability. One benefit of the flying wing is a large fuselage for stowing fuel and weapons-a stealthy aircraft must conceal everything within the shape of the aircraft. ![]() A flying wing design, like the B-2 and B-21 bombers, is possible. What will replace the Reaper? A replacement will likely be stealthy, to keep it off radars and minimize it as a target against radar-guided missiles. The Air Force will lay out its vision of a replacement, one that can operate in contested airspace, in the 2022 budget. Realizing the Reaper's vulnerability, Air Force is cutting its buy of Reaper drones to 337, according to, with the final 21 drones purchased this year. The Pentagon is shifting from smaller, low-end fights in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere towards larger, higher-end brawls potentially with countries such as Russia and China. Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to play If an enemy missile launches against a Reaper, there’s little the remote pilot can do about it-if he or she even notices the launch. In particular the insect-looking Reaper lacks stealth, with sensor pods and weapons hanging off wingtips producing a large radar signature. The Reaper lacks the equipment modern warplanes have to keep them alive over the battlefield, including missile warning systems and anti-missile chaff and flares. In addition to the Air Force, the CIA operates a small number of Reapers reportedly involved in using the " Flying Ginsu" Hellfire R9X missile.īut in contested airspace, it’s a different story. The Reaper is the largest known armed drone in the Pentagon’s inventory. In uncontested airspace the Reaper can linger for hours, waiting for the right moment to unleash a Hellfire missile or laser-guided bomb. Bigger, faster, more heavily armed than the original Predator drone, the Reaper has excelled in flying missions over places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia. The MQ-9 Reaper drone was first introduced in 2007. Although highly successful at what it does, the MQ-9 Reaper is easily shot down and would not survive over a battlefield protected by modern air defenses. Air Force wants to replace the service’s fleet of Reaper attack drones with something new capable of surviving in hostile airspace.
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