The Bismarck Tribune reports:
BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AP) -- The airplane is the size of a jet fighter, powered by a turboprop engine, able to fly at 300 mph and reach 50,000 feet. It's outfitted with infrared, laser and radar targeting, and with a ton and a half of guided bombs and missiles.
The Reaper is loaded, but there's no one on board. Its pilot, as it bombs targets in Iraq, will sit at a video console 7,000 miles away in Nevada.
Review Journal adds: Reaper to rain Hellfires down upon enemy
INDIAN SPRINGS -- Commanders at Creech Air Force Base launched a new era of aviation history Thursday, activating an attack squadron for the remotely piloted MQ-9 Reaper spy plane, a big brother of the MQ-1 Predator that can fly faster and higher and drop laser-guided bombs as well as fire missiles.
"The Reaper is like a Predator on steroids," Lt. Col. Jonathan Greene, commander of the 42nd Attack Squadron, said after the activation ceremony in a hangar where a Reaper with his name on it was parked, north of the base's main Predator complex.
Courtesy the tank.
Update: More from engadget on the Reaper.
Lol well these UAV's may end up putting me out of a job!But I can't help but think there is so much that could go wrong during an Op which would leave some seriously bad PR.
ReplyDeleteI agree, UAV's alone won't be able to fully satisfy our aviation needs any time soon - if ever.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure we'll always have a need for ace pilots such as yourself.