Video

Video by Senior Airman Patrick Wyatt

MQ-9 Reaper performs a historic multirole mission

United States Air Forces Central

Feb. 26, 2018 | 0:43

U.S. MQ-9 Reaper performed a historic multirole mission in the deliberate air campaign against Taliban revenue sources, releasing four 500 pound precision guided munitions from a single Reaper, effectively destroying a Taliban narcotics facility in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, Feb 22. In a new approach, MQ-9s are being tasked in a multirole capacity, to include executing deliberate strikes, armed over watch or close air support missions, and then flex to an ISR tasking - all in a single mission. This approach offers planners greater flexibility in choosing the optimal strike capability from a variety of manned and unmanned aircraft supporting operations, including F-16s, B-52s, A-10s and MQ-9s.