Reaper Drops First Combat GBU

[unhappycamper]

Reaper Drops First Combat GBU

The highest-tech equipment used in probably the lowest-tech war...

From the USAF:

The MQ-9A Reaper demonstrated it's unique precision strike capability as a hunter-killer attack platform by dropping its first precision-guided bomb Nov. 7.

"The beauty of the MQ-9 Reaper is that we're able to synchronize and integrate unmanned aerial attack platforms over the skies of Afghanistan, allowing us to persistently and consistently track the enemy and ensure that we place the appropriate ordnance on target when required, and maintain that persistent presence after weapons release," said Lt. Gen. Gary North, U.S. Central Command Air Forces commander.

The Reaper, the Air Force's unmanned aerial attack vehicle, was operating over the Sangin region of Afghanistan on the hunt for enemy activity when the crew received a request for assistance from a joint terminal attack controller on the ground. Friendly forces were taking fire from enemy combatants. The JTAC provided targeting data to the pilot and sensor operator, who fly the aircraft remotely from Creech Air Force Base, Nev. The pilot released two GBU-12 500-pound laser-guided bombs, destroying the target and eliminating the enemy fighters.

The ability to carry bombs, in addition to AGM-114K Hellfire missiles, is just one of the features that set the Reaper apart from its smaller brother the MQ-1 Predator.


There's a pretty good discussion at the end of the artile: http://www.defensetech.org/archives/003860.html?wh=wh

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. "In a related statement..."

"Military officials said that a small army of 250 Halliburton contract cleaning workers had to be deployed to the Reaper command center and to the theater command center to clean up the gallons of spooge emitted by generals, colonels, light colonels and defense contractors who were on hand to watch the Reaper perform its first successful kill with bombs. The spokesman said that the workers had been recruited specially for this duty from the US peep show industry."