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No ground power, no air power
He sits crouched, with the sleeves of his sand shirt rolled just beneath each elbow and a screwdriver in hand. A pair of yellow-lensed glasses are perched atop the bridge of his nose, protecting his concentrated gaze. With each rotation of his wrist, the screwdriver turns, its bright orange handle a stark contrast to the white of his skin.
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0
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3/06
2017
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USAF prepares for all MQ-9 force
For the past 21 years the Air Force has flown the remotely piloted MQ-1 Predator in combat, and for the last 10, the MQ-9 Reaper. Combined with a skilled aircrew, these aircraft provide consistent support in daily engagements making an impact downrange.
While the MQ-1 has provided many years of service, the time has come for the Air Force to fly the more capable MQ-9 exclusively, and retire the MQ-1 in early 2018 to keep up with the continuously evolving battlespace environment.
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0
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2/23
2017
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It takes a team to fly a Predator
They may not see it, but U.S. service members and their enemies are directly impacted by MQ-1 Predators on the field of battle nearly constantly.
These remotely piloted aircraft have two purposes: collecting intelligence and destroying enemy targets, and they are exceedingly good at accomplishing their mission. Airmen assigned to the 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron are tasked with keeping these vital assets flying in support of Operation Inherent Resolve from an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia.
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0
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2/22
2017
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MQ-1 airstrike stops car bomb
The MQ-1 Predator aircrew sat in the ground control station focused intently on their screens. Tension filled the air as they assessed the situation and began calculating the risks of destroying an armored vehicle suspected of carrying explosives.
The remotely piloted aircraft crew started their shift the same as any other, attending the crew brief before flight. As they arrived in the GCS, the battle environment was changing, thrusting them into a life-or-death situation.
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0
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1/27
2017
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Eye in the sky: MQ-1, MQ-9s provide increased awareness
Situational awareness is the ability to know what is happening around a person at any given time. This is especially important for military members, more specifically, troops on the ground.
For the men and women operating MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft, their skills of providing unmatched SA is highly demanded from the ground forces to the combatant commanders.
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0
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1/26
2017
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AF selects Shaw AFB as the preferred location to host a new RPA unit
The Air Force has selected Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, as the preferred location to base a new MQ-9 Reaper group, including mission control elements. Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona; Moody AFB, Georgia; Mountain Home AFB, Idaho; and Offutt AFB, Nebraska, were named as reasonable alternatives and will be considered as part of the environmental
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0
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1/18
2017
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The evolution of the combat RPA
In the 1980s, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency added modern day technology to the decades old idea of using remotely piloted aircraft for reconnaissance purposes. Little did DARPA or the Air Force know how impactful this development would be.
As a result the Air Force immediately purchased a long endurance remotely piloted aircraft called the GNAT 750 resulting in the creation, production and development of the RQ-1 Predator of the early 1990s. By 1996, operators were flying intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions over the Balkans providing an eye in the sky during a period of unrest.
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0
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12/15
2016
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First two enlisted pilots complete solo flights
Two Air Force master sergeants became the first enlisted Airmen in six decades to complete solo flights, Nov. 3, during Initial Flight Training at the 1st Flying Training Squadron.
Both soloed in a DA-20 Katana at Pueblo Memorial Airport as part of the Air Force’s IFT program, which is mandatory for all manned aircraft pilots, combat systems officers, and remotely piloted aircraft pilots.
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0
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11/04
2016
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AF narrows locations considered for basing new RPA units
The Air Force has selected candidate bases for a potential new MQ-9 Reaper wing with units at up to two locations.
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0
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9/08
2016
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Creech reaps benefits from an all MQ-9 force
Maintainers assigned to the 432d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Tiger Aircraft Maintenance Unit launched their first-ever MQ-9 Reaper Aug. 25, 2016.
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0
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9/05
2016
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