Reaper scores insurgent kill in Afghanistan

Reaper scores insurgent kill in Afghanistan
Monday Oct 29, 2007
The Air Force’s use of remote-controlled aircraft passed another milestone Saturday with the first air strike flown by an MQ-9 Reaper, the service’s newest unmanned plane. According to Central Air Forces, an MQ-9 fired a Hellfire missile at Afghanistan insurgents in the Deh Rawood region of the mountainous Oruzgan province. The strike was “successful,” CentAF said. Based at Kandahar Air Field, Reapers have been flying over Afghanistan since Sept. 25. Like the smaller MQ-1 Predator, pilots and sensor operators in Nevada use satellite links to guide the planes on attack and reconnaissance sorties. A second set of deployed aviators control the planes’ take offs and landings. The Reaper can carry up to 3,000 pounds of weapons while the MQ-1 is limited to 500 pounds of munitions.