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General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper

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The MQ-9 Reaper (originally the RQ-9 Predator B) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for use by the United States Air Force, the United States Navy, and the British Royal Air Force. The MQ-9 is the Air Force's first purpose-designed hunter-killer UAV designed for long-endurance, high-altitude surveillance.[1]

The MQ-9 is a larger and more capable aircraft than the earlier MQ-1 Predator. It can use MQ-1's ground systems. The MQ-9 has a 950-shaft-horsepower turboprop engine, far more powerful than the Predator's 119 hp (89 kW) piston engine. The increase in power allows the Reaper to carry 15 times more ordnance and cruise at three times the speed of the MQ-1.[1]

The U.S. Navy calls its MQ-9s "Mariners".

Development

With the success of the MQ-1 in combat, General Atomics anticipated the Air Force's desire for an upgraded aircraft, and using its own funds, set about redesigning Predator.

U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff General T. Michael 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."[1]

Prototype "Predator B"

General Atomics began development of the Predator B with the "Predator B-001", a proof-of-concept aircraft, which first flew on 2 February 2001. The B-001 was powered by a Honeywell/AlliedSignal TPE-331-10T turboprop engine with 950 shp (712 kW). It had a standard Predator airframe, except that the wings were stretched from 48 feet (14.6 m) to 66 feet (20 m). The B-001 had a speed of 220 kts (390 km/h) and could carry a payload of 750 pounds (340 kilograms) to an altitude of 50,000 feet (15.2 kilometers) with an endurance of 30 hours.[2]

GA refined the design, taking it in two separate directions. The first was with a jet-powered version. The "Predator B-002" was fitted with a Williams FJ44-2A turbofan engine with 10.2 kN (2,300 lbf, 1,040 kgf) thrust. It had payload capacity of 475 pounds (215 kilograms), a ceiling of 60,000 feet (18.3 kilometers) and endurance of 12 hours. The U.S. Air Force has reportedly ordered two airframes for evaluation (delivery scheduled for 2007), and in at least one source this version is referred to as the RQ-1 Predator C.[3]

The second was the "Predator B-003", called by GA the "Altair", which has a new airframe with an 84-feet (25.6 m) wingspan and a takeoff weight of about 7,000 pounds (3,175 kilograms). Like the Predator B-001, it is powered by a TP-331-10T turboprop. This variant has a payload capacity of 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilograms), a maximum ceiling of 52,000 feet (15.8 kilometers), and an endurance of 36 hours.[4][5]

Air Force version

First MQ-9 arrives at Creech AFB, March 2007

In October 2001, the US Air Force signed a contract with GA to purchase an initial pair of Predator B-003s for evaluation, with follow-up orders for production machines. The first test MQ-9s were delivered to the Air Force in 2002. The name "Altair" did not follow the aircraft into testing, with the Air Force continuing to refer to the system as "Predator B" until it was renamed Reaper ("Altair" instead became the designation for the unarmed NASA version); this is confusing, however, as the manufacturer uses the term to refer to the smaller B-001 prototype.[2]

The MQ-9 is fitted with six stores pylons. The inner stores pylons can carry a maximum of 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms) each, and are "wet" to allow carriage of external fuel tanks. The midwing stores pylons can carry a maximum of 600 pounds (270 kilograms) each, while the outer stores pylons can carry a maximum of 200 pounds (90 kilograms) each. An MQ-9 with two 1,000 pound (450 kilogram) external fuel tanks and a thousand pounds of munitions has an endurance of 42 hours.[5] Fully loaded with munitions, the Reaper has an endurance of 14 hours.[1] The MQ-9 currently carries a variety of weapons, including the GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bomb and the AGM-114II and AGM-114IIP Hellfire air-to-ground missiles. Tests are underway to allow for the addition of the AIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missiles, and GBU-38 JDAM bombs.

The Air Force believes that the Predator B will give the service an improved "deadly persistence" capability, with the UAV hanging over a combat area night and day, waiting for a target to present itself. In this role, an armed UAV neatly complements piloted strike aircraft. A piloted strike aircraft can be used to dump larger quantities of ordnance on a known target, while a cheaper UAV can be kept in operation almost continuously, with ground controllers trading off in shifts, carrying a light warload to engage targets of opportunity.[5]

By October 2007, the U.S. Air Force owned nine Reapers,[6] and was expected to decide whether to order full-rate production in 2009.[1] The U.S. Navy ordered its first MQ-9s in December 2005. In September 2005, the United States Department of Homeland Security ordered one for border protection operations, ordered a second aircraft in early 2006, and ordered 2 more MQ-9s and related systems in late 2006.

On May 18, 2006, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a certificate of authorization that allows the MQ-1 and MQ-9 aircraft to fly in U.S. civilian airspace to search for survivors of disasters. Requests had been made in 2005 for the aircraft to be used in search and rescue operations following Hurricane Katrina, but because there was no FAA authorization in place at the time, the assets were not used.[7]

On July 15, 2007, the Associated Press reported that the MQ-9 would deploy into Iraq somewhere between the fall of that year or the spring of the next. Also mentioned was the building of a 400,000-square-foot (37,000 m2) expansion of the concrete ramp area used for Predator drones at Balad, the biggest U.S. air base in Iraq, presumably for the staging of Reapers.[8]

On October 28, 2007 the AirForce Times reported an MQ-9 had achieved its first 'kill', firing a Hellfire missile against "Afghanistan insurgents in the Deh Rawood region of the mountainous Oruzgan province. The strike was “successful”, the United States Central Command Air Forces said".[9]

An RQ-9 taking off in Afghanistan

General Atomics has designed a navalized version of the Reaper, named the "Mariner", for carrier operations. The production Mariner would be turboprop-powered, with folding wings for carrier storage, shorter and more rugged landing gear, an arresting hook, cut-down or eliminated ventral flight surfaces and six stores pylons with a total load of 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilograms).[5] The design would also have an increased fuel capacity in order to have an endurance of up to 49 hours.[10] The Mariner is intended to meet the Navy's Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) program requirements.

NASA version

NASA had initially expressed some interest in a production version of the B-002 turbofan-powered variant,[5] but instead has leased an unarmed version of the Reaper, which carries the GA-ASI company name "Altair". Altair is one of the first 3 "Predator-B" airframes. The other 2 airframes, known as "Predator-B 001" and "Predator-B 002", had a maximum gross weight of 7,500 pounds. Altair differs from these models in that it has an 86-foot (26 m) long wingspan (20 feet greater than early and current MQ-9's).

In November 2006, NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center obtained an MQ-9 from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.. The aircraft has been named "Ikhana" and its main goal is the Suborbital Science Program within the Science Mission Directorate. NASA also acquired a ground control station in a mobile trailer.[11] This aircraft was used extensively to survey the Southern California wildfires in 2007. The data was used to deploy firefighters to areas of the highest need.

Homeland Security version

UAV Operators at Balad Camp Anaconda, Iraq, April 20, 2005

The United States Department of Homeland Security initially ordered one Predator B for border patrol duty, referred to as MQ-9 CBP-101. It began operations October 4, 2005, but on April 25, 2006, this aircraft crashed in the Arizona desert. The NTSB determined (Record Identification: CHI06MA121) that the cause of the crash was most likely a pilot error by the aircraft's ground-based pilot in the use of a checklist. During its operational period, the aircraft flew 959 hours on patrol and had a part in 2,309 arrests. It also contributed to the seizure of four vehicles and 8,267 pounds of marijuana.[12] Because of these successes, a second Predator B, called "CBP-104" (initially referred to as "CBP-102"), was delivered in September 2006, and commenced limited border protection operations on October 18, 2006.

The President’s FY 2006 Emergency Supplemental budget request added $45 million for the Predator B program, and the FY 2007 Homeland Security Appropriations bill adds an additional $20 million. In October 2006, GA-ASI announced a $33.9 million contract to supply two more Predator B systems by Fall 2007. The Department intends to eventually have four aircraft operational.[13]

The CBP-101 was equipped with the Lynx SAR, AX-15 payload, ARC-210 radios, and other sensors and communications equipment; CBP-104 was enhanced with Ku band satellite command and control link and MTS-A EO/IR sensors.[12]

International versions

Australia

In September, 2006, the General Atomics Mariner demonstrator aircraft was operated by the Australian Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) in an exercise designed to evaluate the aircraft's ability to aid in efforts to stem illegal fishing, drug running and illegal immigration. The Mariner operated from RAAF bases Edinburgh, South Australia and Learmonth, Western Australia in conjunction with a Royal Australian Navy Armidale class patrol boat, the Joint Offshore Protection Command and the Pilbara Regiment.[14]

United Kingdom

On September 27 2006, the U.S. Congress was notified by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency that the United Kingdom was seeking to purchase a pair of MQ-9 Reapers. They will be operated by No. 39 Squadron RAF.[15] A third MQ-9 is in the process of being purchased by the RAF.[16]

On November 9 2007 the Ministry of Defence announced that its MQ-9 Reapers had began operations in Afganistan against the Taliban.[17] On January 4 2008 it became public that the United Kingdom wants to purchase a further 10 MQ-9 Reapers, giving the Royal Air Force a total fleet of 13 Reaper UAVs.[18]

Statistics

MQ-9 Reaper taxis
MQ-9 Reaper in Afghanistan

Several minor variations of the RQ-9/MQ-9 exist; these values are indicative.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

  • Contractor: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Incorporated
  • Landing Type: runway
  • Launch Type: runway
  • Power Plant: Honeywell TP331-10 turboprop engine, 670 kW

PERFORMANCE

  • Ceiling: 50,000 ft (15 km)
  • Endurance: 15 h
  • Range: 3682 mi (3200 nautical miles)
  • Fuel Capacity: 1,300 kg (3,907 lb)
  • Length: 11 m (36 ft)
  • Payload: 1700 kg (3800 lb)
  • Weight: 1676 kg (3700 lb) empty; 4760 kg (10,500 lb) max [19]
  • Wingspan: 20 m (66 ft)
  • Velocity: 400 km/h (250 mph, 220 knots)

ARMAMENT

  • 6 Hardpoints under the wings, can carry a payload mix of 1,500 lb. on each of its two inboard weapons stations, 500-600 lb. on the two middle stations and 150-200 lb. on the outboard stations.

COST

  • Unit cost: USD 8 million (approximate, varies by configuration)

Operational history

  • The California Office of Emergency Services requested NASA support for the Esperanza Fire, and in under 24 hours the General Atomics Altair (NASA variant of the Predator B) was launched on a 16 hour mission to map the perimeter of the fire. The Altair had just returned from a test mission a day before the Esperanza Fire started. The fire mapping research is a joint project with NASA and the US Forest Service.[20][21]
  • On April 25, 2006, an MQ-9 operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection crashed near Nogales, Arizona. The pilot, remotely operating the vehicle from Sierra Vista Municipal Airport, reported a momentary lockup of the displays on the primary control console. The pilot switched control to a secondary console, and in doing so inadvertently shut down the vehicle's engine, causing it to descend out of reach of communications and ultimately collide with terrain.[22]
  • On May 1, 2007, the 432nd Wing of the United States Air Force was activated to operate MQ-9 Reaper as well as MQ-1 Predator UAVs at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. The pilots are expected to fly combat mission in Iraq and Afghanistan in the summer of 2007.[23]
  • As of October 2007 the USAF is flying Operational missions in Afghanistan.[24] As of March 6, 2008, according to USAF Lieutenant General Gary North, the Reaper has attacked 16 targets in Afghanistan using 500-lb bombs and Hellfire missiles. On February 4, 2008 the Reaper dropped a bomb on a truck carrying an insurgent mortar and team near Kandahar.[25]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 'Reaper' moniker given to MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle
  2. ^ a b General Atomics official Predator B website
  3. ^ Air Force Technology.com article Predator RQ-1 / MQ-1 / MQ-9 Reaper - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), USA
  4. ^ Note: endurance figures vary greatly from source to source. The current figure being publicized by the Air Force is 14 hours.
  5. ^ a b c d e History of UAVs
  6. ^ Air Force's hunter-killer UAV now flying in Afghanistan
  7. ^ http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123024467 SSgt Amy Robinson, "FAA Authorizes Predators to seek survivors," Air Combat Command Public Affairs, August 11, 2006
  8. ^ FOXNews.com - Pilotless Robot Bomber Squadron Heads for Afghanistan, Iraq - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News
  9. ^ Reaper scores insurgent kill in Afghanistan - Air Force News, opinions, editorials, news from Iraq, photos, reports - Air Force Times
  10. ^ General Atomics official Mariner web page
  11. ^ NASA - Ikhana Unmanned Science and Research Aircraft System
  12. ^ a b "Office of Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine, UAS Presentation" (PDF). Retrieved 2006-10-31.
  13. ^ Alice Lipowicz (2006-10-17). ""Predator to be on the prowl again"". Government Computer News. Retrieved 2006-10-31. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month= and |coauthors= (help)
  14. ^ Defense Update article Australia Tests Maritime Surveillance UAV
  15. ^ Air Forces Monthly, December 2007 issue, p.6.
  16. ^ Air Forces Monthly, December 2007 issue, p.6.
  17. ^ BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Skynet military launch is delayed
  18. ^ "United Kingdom - MQ-9 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Aircraft" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-02-02.
  19. ^ Factsheets : MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned Aerial Vehicle : MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
  20. ^ http://ic.arc.nasa.gov/story.php?id=388&sec=
  21. ^ NASA - NASA Supports UAS Fire Mapping Efforts on California Fire
  22. ^ http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/GenPDF.asp?id=CHI06MA121&rpt=fa
  23. ^ Ryan Whitney (2007-05-03). "Air Force stands up first unmanned aircraft systems wing". 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs.
  24. ^ Air Force's hunter-killer UAV now flying in Afghanistan
  25. ^ Brook, Tom Vanden, "Air Force Requests More Fighter Drones", USA Today, March 6, 2008, p. 6.
  • This article contains material that originally came from the web article Unmanned Aerial Vehicles by Greg Goebel, which exists in the Public Domain.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper.

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

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