First MQ-9 Reaper makes its home on Nevada flightline

AFNEWS ^ | 3/14/2007 | Senior Airman Travis Edwards

[Jet Jaguar]

[centurion316]

Our mission is to train MQ-9 crews and fly combat by this summer. Bringing the MQ-9 on line is going to take a fresh view on how we, as Airmen, train and employ."

And provides a new definition to the word combat. I wonder how many DFC's will be passed out.

[avacado]

"One of the big differences between the Reaper and the Predator is the Predator can only carry about 200 pounds (of ordnance). The Reaper however, can carry one and a half tons..."

Holy Moly! That's impressive -- for our side! For the ones on the receiving end... not the best news of the day!

[COEXERJ145]

Looks like a cross between a Predator and the Global Hawk.

[Domicile of Doom]

Need to crank these things out by the 1000's and swarm the enemy. You get enough of these in the air there is no chance for the enemy.

[agent_delta]

RC Pilots around the world are donning their flightsuits in solidarity.

[NonValueAdded]

Fear the Reaper!

[Ramius]

I wonder how many DFC's will be passed out.

They'll just be virtual medals. :-)

[af_vet_rr]

There will be a lot more of these and you are looking at the future of aerial warfare. Some of the things they are looking at for the next 10 years - you would not have believed them possible just 10 years ago. We are also going to see all different sizes, depending on the mission.

It's going to be a huge transition for the Air Force and Navy - in the not too distant future, the Navy will start cranking out ships specifically suited for these, including submersibles. Imagine some kind of submarines popping up and launching 40 or 50 similar remote-piloted aircraft (or autonomous even - that is going to be the future and part of the next two or three generations after what they currently have on board). The Naval operators could direct these aircraft to "swarm" over an area (say before a Marine landing - in order to take territory, you still have to have boots on the ground). These things could just basically circle the area, picking off targets at will.

I used to not think it was possible in my lifetime, and for a long time it wasn't, but the future is here. The DoD is putting a lot of money into this.

[MediaMole]

I wonder how many DFC's will be passed out.

How many pilots are the children of politicians?

[MichaelP]

REAPER.... Should add a GRIM to that. Nowhere to hide bad guys...

Mike

[arthurus]

The pace of this is such that I feel I might just see a real science-fiction world in my lifetime, real space travel even, and I am not young.

[cryptical]

There will be a lot more of these and you are looking at the future of aerial warfare.

At 8 million each these things are cheap, and if the Air Force can get over the institutional need to use actual pilots instead of trained enlisted personnel like other branches have done it will certainly be a huge win.

[Domicile of Doom]

We do not need boots on the ground! We're not keeping the territory we're simply ridding it of undesirables. My vision is suborbital drones taking off, performing mission, coming back to land for resupply of munitions, and back again perpetually until there is no enemy left. Not until peace accords, not until a white flag is waved, but until there is nothing left. We don't need boots for that, nor do we need ships. We'll require drones with global capability and huge payloads, all pre-programmed with intuitive capability to adapt to changing battlefield conditions. It'll be like the invention of the machine gun, but this time with these weapons, conventional man vs. man warfare will become obsolete.

[bruin66]

What about us U-Control guys?

[af_vet_rr]

We do not need boots on the ground! We're not keeping the territory we're simply ridding it of undesirables.

So if we had enough of these aircraft, you think we could have taken out Saddam and taken over Iraq without boots on the ground?

[Buckeye Battle Cry]

"Fear the Reaper!"

MORE COWBELL!

[tet68]

Hahaha, quit being archaic.

U-control 3 line carrier landings, Waaaaaaaaa!

[Centurion2000]

Don't fear the Reaper

[Empireoftheatom48]

Wow, so cool!!