{"id":30147,"date":"2018-02-26T17:52:52","date_gmt":"2018-02-26T17:52:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2018\/02\/26\/as-predator-drones-retire-the-reapers-mission-grows\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T09:01:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T09:01:34","slug":"as-predator-drones-retire-the-reapers-mission-grows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/unmanned\/uas\/2018\/02\/26\/as-predator-drones-retire-the-reapers-mission-grows\/","title":{"rendered":"As Predator drones retire, the Reapers\u2019 mission grows"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/news\/your-air-force\/2017\/02\/27\/air-force-transition-from-the-mq-1-predator-to-the-mq-9-reaper-is-underway\/\" title=\"\" class=\"selected-link\" target=\"_blank\" data-original-title=\"\" aria-describedby=\"popover284140\" style=\"\">MQ-9 Reaper<\/a> has big shoes to fill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following the announcement that the much older <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/news\/your-air-force\/2017\/02\/06\/target-isis-inside-the-predator-war-against-the-world-s-most-ruthless-terrorists\/\" title=\"\" class=\"selected-link\" target=\"_blank\" data-original-title=\"\" aria-describedby=\"popover718771\">MQ-1 Predator<\/a> will be retired in March, the Reaper has been flexed to \u201ca new approach,\u201d according to a Monday announcement by<a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/news\/your-air-force\/2017\/10\/09\/afghanistan-airstrikes-hit-highest-point-in-years\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\"> U.S. Air Forces Central Command<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c[Reapers] are being tasked in a multi-role capacity, to include executing deliberate strikes, armed overwatch or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/02\/23\/un-report-afghan-jtacs-needed-to-curb-civilian-deaths\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">close-air support<\/a> missions, and then flexing to an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2017\/10\/02\/us-mq-9-drone-shot-down-in-yemen\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">ISR tasking <\/a>\u2014 all in a single mission,\u201d AFCENT said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Air Force command heralded this approach as a way to offer planners greater flexibility in choosing their optimal strike platform. This includes \u201ca variety of manned and unmanned aircraft supporting operations, including, but not limited to, F-16s, B-52s, A-10s and MQ-9s.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/02\/16\/air-force-announces-official-retirement-date-for-iconic-mq-1-predator\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"177\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Predator_Incirlik.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Air Force announces official retirement date for iconic MQ-1 Predator drone<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Air Force will officially retire its iconic, groundbreaking \u2014 and controversial \u2015 MQ-1 Predator on March 9.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new, multi-faceted tasking scheme was announced after the successful deployment of four 500-pound precision guided munitions from a single Reaper, \u201ceffectively destroying a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/02\/16\/dod-ig-too-soon-to-tell-if-trumps-south-asia-strategy-will-break-the-taliban\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Taliban narcotics facility<\/a> in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Feb. 22,\u201d according to AFCENT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1277\" height=\"850\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MQ-9-Reaper-pilots-small.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27056\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MQ-9-Reaper-pilots-small.jpg.jpg 1277w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MQ-9-Reaper-pilots-small.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MQ-9-Reaper-pilots-small.jpg.jpg?resize=768,511 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MQ-9-Reaper-pilots-small.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,682 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1277px) 100vw, 1277px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Major Dusty, 9th Attack Squadron MQ-9 Reaper pilot, and TSgt Trevis, 49th Operations Group MQ-9 sensor operator (last names omitted due to operational security concerns) fly an MQ-9 Reaper training mission from a ground control station on Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., Oct. 3. The Reaper is a multi-functional aircraft that supports both reconnaissance and combat roles. Holloman trains all Air Force MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper pilots. (Air Force\/A1C Michael Shoemaker)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Feb. 14, Creech Air Force Base in Nevada foreshadowed the change as well, announcing that the Air Force will shift entirely to MQ-9 Reapers for UAV combat missions after the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/air\/2017\/12\/30\/new-in-2018-air-force-will-officially-retire-mq-1-predator-drone\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Predator\u2019s sunset<\/a>. The Air Force also flies unarmed RQ-4 Global Hawks for reconnaissance missions.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First Lt. Annabel Monroe, a spokeswoman for Air Combat Command, said that while the active-duty Air Force and Air National Guard will stop flying the MQ-1 after March 9, contractors flying the older platform in the Middle East will continue through December.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/opinion\/medals-misfires\/2018\/01\/10\/medal-thank-you-for-your-service-mq-1-predator\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/YFUY4L4EFVHKBCD4QUP7FMMIO4.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">MEDAL: Thank you for your service, MQ-1 Predator<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The U.S. military&#039;s original unmanned recon drone will retire officially this summer.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Air Force first introduced the MQ-9 Reaper in 2006 as the Predator\u2019s planned successor. The MQ-9 can fly faster, climb higher and is optimized for combat with more weapons capacity, according to officials at Creech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Given the Reaper\u2019s significant loiter time, its wide-range sensors, multi-mode communications suite and precision weapons \u2014 \u201cit provides a unique capability to perform strike, coordination and reconnaissance against high-value, fleeting, and time-sensitive targets,\u201d according to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.af.mil\/About-Us\/Fact-Sheets\/Display\/Article\/104470\/mq-9-reaper\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\">Air Force<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the retirement of MQ-1 Predators this month, MQ-9 Reapers are executing deliberate strikes, providing armed overwatch or close-air support, and flexing to ISR taskings \u2014 all in a single mission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":92845,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":57,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[106,29,32,57,21,111],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3310],"class_list":["post-30147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-brief","category-home","category-newsletters","category-uas","category-unmanned","category-unmanned-systems"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"7XMGU5DR6RFCNPLS34QZUP2RYM","arc_canonical_url":"\/flashpoints\/2018\/02\/26\/as-predator-drones-retire-the-reapers-mission-grows\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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