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| Science & Technology |
| 'Reaper' moniker given to MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle |
| 2006-09-15 |
| The Air Force chief of staff announced "Reaper" has been chosen as the name for the MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle. "The name Reaper is one of the suggestions that came from our Airmen in the field. It's fitting as it captures the lethal nature of this new weapon system," General Moseley said. The MQ-9 Reaper is the Air Force's first hunter-killer UAV. It is larger and more powerful than the MQ-1 Predator and is designed to go after time-sensitive targets with persistence and precision, and destroy or disable those targets with 500-pound bombs and Hellfire missiles. "The Reaper represents a significant evolution in UAV technology and employment," General Moseley said. "We've moved from using UAVs primarily in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance roles before Operation Iraqi Freedom, to a true hunter-killer role with the Reaper." General Moseley stressed the key advantage is not keeping manned aircraft and pilots out of harm's way, but the persistence UAVs can inherently provide. The Reaper can stay airborne for up to 14 hours fully loaded. A 900-horsepower turbo-prop engine, compared to the 119-horsepower Predator engine, powers the aircraft. It has a 64-foot wingspan and carries more than 15 times the ordnance of the Predator, flying almost three times the Predator's cruise speed. The Air Force has seven MQ-9 Reapers in its inventory, with a full-rate production decision expected in 2009. The Air Force is the global leader in UAV innovation, General Moseley said. "Today, the Air Force can launch a UAV from a remote field on the other side of the globe, then pilot that aircraft from a base in the United States. These systems and the Airmen who operate them offer unprecedented flexibility to combatant commanders worldwide," he said. |
| Posted by:Nimble Spemble |
| #12 The busyest night saw a whole 4 shootable targets. In a dense AO with lots of non-shootable womyn, chilluns, kittens, puppies and baby duckies(TM) all around. What? No fluffy bunnies? |
| Posted by: FOTSGreg 2006-09-15 23:06 |
| #11 Suspect the terrs will refer to it as the grim reaper |
| Posted by: Captain America 2006-09-15 22:53 |
| #10 If my experience with the shadow uavs is anything to go by, 8-10 hellfires is more than adequate for a 24-48 hour long flight. Remember, each platform has to land to refuel occasionaly. If there a truly target rich environment, well, the A-10s Of Doom, and the AC-130s Of Doom will show up before uav ammo becomes an issue. The busyest night saw a whole 4 shootable targets. In a dense AO with lots of non-shootable womyn, chilluns, kittens, puppies and baby duckies(TM) all around. I can't remember how many nights were dry holes with nothing to see. Ick. |
| Posted by: N guard 2006-09-15 20:41 |
| #9 The AF should call it the Grim Reaper. You're close, Alaska Paul. This new weapon was first mentioned in a fairy tale about the Grimm Reaper. In fact, I used to be addicted to fairy tales ... Wait for it ... Once upon a time. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-09-15 20:26 |
| #8 Aw c'mon eLarson, filk it. We already know the real words. |
| Posted by: mcsegeek1 2006-09-15 15:25 |
| #7 A large verrry slow aircraft coming in low is a fine target for anything from an Ak47 and up. Even worse, with satellite linked remote pilots, there is a 1/2 second delay to react to any control events. Not something you want during a strafing run. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-09-15 14:46 |
#6 Hey, Jihadists...All [your] times have come |
| Posted by: eLarson 2006-09-15 14:41 |
| #5 Stall? I'll bet it would make it go backwards. |
| Posted by: 6 2006-09-15 14:16 |
| #4 Hellfires weigh about 100 lbs. GAU-8 weighs 600 lbs without ammo. I also wonder if the firing of a GAU-8 would stall a Reaper. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-09-15 11:29 |
| #3 The AF should call it the Grim Reaper. That will get folks really a-buzzin'. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2006-09-15 11:25 |
| #2 I think the Phalanx gun system would be a better "bolt on" for a UAV. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles in Blairistan 2006-09-15 11:21 |
| #1 I wonder if the AF is intentionally not mounting machine guns and cannon on these UAVs, because it would make an uncomfortable comparison with the Warthog. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-09-15 11:14 |