Fear The Reaper
Blotter:
Stepping Up Hunt for Osama Bin Laden, Taliban and Al Qaeda Hideouts
The U.S. Air Force plans to deliver its newest and deadliest unmanned aircraft, the Reaper, to the theater of operations in Afghanistan.
“The Reaper is an attack aircraft loaded to the hilt with weapons,” Gen. T. Michael Moseley, a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told ABC News exclusively.
Four MQ-9 Reapers, defined by the Air Force as “hunter-killers,” are expected to arrive within several months, according to Gen. Moseley.
While previous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have largely served surveillance and reconnaissance functions, the Reaper is geared more toward weapon and attack purposes.
Named for its lethal nature, the Reaper can carry as many as 14 air-to-ground Hellfire missiles, while its precursor, the Predator, only has the capacity for two. If necessary, the new aircraft can substitute 10 Hellfires with two 500-pound bombs. The Reaper can also remain airborne up to 14 hours fully loaded, with a maximum speed of 300 mph versus the Predator’s 135.
“It flies higher and carries more than our older systems, giving our skilled and experienced operators additional capability to find, fix, track and engage a target,” said Gen. Moseley about the Reaper’s capabilities.
“Not only do we give theater military commanders the capacity to surveil the battlespace and keep a vigilant eye on targets and insurgent activities,” said Gen. Moseley, “we are also capable of striking those targets.”
The Pentagon budgeted $349 million for Reaper- and Predator-related spending for the fiscal year 2007, according to the Air Force budget report.
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
OOOOH!
More fun toys for us to play with! I can’t wait to see some vids of this toy in action!
July 27th, 2007 at 4:32 pmAnother good reason to be proud to be american.
July 27th, 2007 at 5:02 pmI live by Quantico and get to see my tax dollars in action on a regular basis. This is just another example of well thought out, and well spent tax monies in action.
Can’t wait until this thing comes on station. Awesome.
July 27th, 2007 at 5:32 pm“Don’t fear the reaper”..as Blue Oyster cult plays in the backround. Sweet!!!!
July 27th, 2007 at 7:31 pmalmost jizzed readin about its weaponry
July 27th, 2007 at 7:47 pmdo they have these at toys r us?
July 27th, 2007 at 9:32 pmHot damn! Sounds like a fun new toy for our military!
July 27th, 2007 at 10:41 pmdoesn’t mean anything, how often can this actually be deployed and be effective
sad to say, but the only way to win is to be there close and personal
the bad guys got to know someone has to die and we insist that it is the bad guys
July 28th, 2007 at 7:48 pm[…] The Reaper August 8th, 2007 — budsimmons https://pat-dollard.com/2007/07/27/fear-the-reaper/ Posted in Iraq jihadists, Iraq surge, Iraqi Army, Iraq War, […]
August 8th, 2007 at 11:32 am