The U.S. Air Force Looks to Operate the MQ-9 Reaper From Anywhere
Paved runways and dedicated facilities are a luxury that the United States Air Force knows it can't count on in wartime. The service has explored how the fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II could operate from a remote roadway, but it recently conducted a test where an unmanned aerial system (UAS) didn't even need a road!
The U.S. Air Force's 1st Special Operations Mission Sustainment Team (SOMST) recently carried out tests at the Melrose Air Force Range in New Mexico, where an MQ-9 Reaper drone landed on a dirt strip and was quickly refueled and rearmed before heading back into the sky.
The entire time, the UAS was operated by an MQ-9 pilot and sensor operator based more than 1,100 miles away at Hurlburt Field, Florida, the service explained.
"The 65th Special Operations Squadron hosted Exercise Reaper Castillo Nov. 4 to Dec. 18, 2024 to sharpen mission-essential tasks and develop MQ-9 Agile Combat Employment (ACE) capabilities. The goal: create a lighter, leaner and more agile force," the SOMST team explained.
This test served to validate "the MQ-9's ability to conduct key operations in austere environments, including dirt-strip landings, refueling, rearming and rapid relaunch." That is noteworthy as the MQ-9 has typically required a well-established facility that includes a paved runway, a team of maintainers, and "extensive support functions."
The U.S. Air Force clearly understands that it may need to adapt accordingly and that it can't count on a major base of operations from which to service the Reaper.
"In the future fight, we assess we will no longer be able to rely exclusively on the main operating bases that have persisted," said the 1st SOMST flight commander. "Operating in austere environments anytime, anyplace and anywhere is critical. It enables commanders to have options - something critically needed in special operations forces."
Dirt Landing Zone Tests
The Air Force had previously conducted the first touchdown on a dirt landing zone in 2023, at the Nine Mile Training Center south of Fort Stockton.
The recent tests further highlight how the MQ-9 doesn't require major infrastructure or even a paved road.
"We have to break out of the mindset that we need a huge, paved runway with co-located launch and recovery aircrews," the mission commander added. "If we can free ourselves from the traditional mindset, it makes MQ-9 combat reach nearly limitless."
Extending the Reach of the MQ-9
It was nearly a year ago that Airmen from the 50th Attack Squadron and Air National Guardsmen from the 163rd Attack Wing conducted a successful landing of a Reaper drone at Shaw Air Force Base (AFB) under satellite control.
Satellite-controlled landings are set to become standard practice for the MQ-9 community, replacing legacy processes that require additional ground control stations, aircrews, and maintenance support.
Historically, the MQ-9 had only taken off and landed via line-of-sight antennas, with aircrew members manually flying the aircraft. That satellite control test confirmed how the MQ-9 can literally take off and land from anywhere in the world.
Combined, these exercises highlight how the remotely piloted aircraft can operate from any location in the world, in line with its ACE capabilities.
"War games conducted by the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies in 2022 found a conflict with China around Taiwan could see Washington and its allies lose as many as 900 combat aircraft – with most of those losses occurring on the ground due to enemy missile attacks. The ACE approach is meant to diminish that risk, and is something the Air Force describes as 'crucial to unlocking the full potential of the MQ-9,'" Flight Global explained.
Designed as a follow-up to the MQ-1 Predator, the Reaper can carry a great deal of ordnance, which allows it to fulfill the "hunter" component of a hunter-killer drone. Reapers can carry double the amount of Hellfire missiles that the Predator can carry, while the MQ-9 can also carry up to 500 pounds of bombs.
The Reaper can also employ up to eight laser-guided missiles. The Air-to-Ground Missile-114 Hellfire possesses highly accurate, low-collateral damage, anti-armor, and anti-personnel engagement capabilities. Even as the U.S. Air Force seeks to develop more autonomous and capable drones, the MQ-9 has continued to be updated and enhanced.
"The MQ-9 is extremely relevant in today's fight and will be in the future as well," said a 65th SOS MQ-9 evaluator pilot and exercise mission commander. "It allows us to go places and do things that we cannot risk sending manned aircraft – such as high-threat environments."
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