Tuesday - August 28, 2007
The Reaper to be Deployed in Afghanistan
USA TODAY reports that the Air Force is deploying the Reaper in Afghanistan starting this fall.
The Air Force this fall will deploy a new generation of pilotless airplane with the bombing power of an F-16 to help stop the stubborn Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan.
The Reaper is an upgraded version of the Predator, which has become one of the military's most sought-after planes since it first appeared in Afghanistan in 2001. The Reaper can fly three times as fast as a Predator and carry eight times more weaponry, such as Hellfire missiles, the Air Force said.
The Reaper's greater range and speed make it better suited than the Predator to Afghanistan with its vast, rugged terrain. The Reaper will also be deployed to Iraq. Its speed and arms will let it track and kill moving targets able to elude a Predator, said Brig. Gen. James Poss, director of intelligence for Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base, Va.
Here are Reaper's stats, as listed on the U.S. Air Force website:
Primary Function: Unmanned hunter/killer weapon system Contractor: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. Power Plant: Honeywell TPE331-10GD turboprop engine, producing 900 shaft horsepower Length: 36 feet (11 meters) Height: 12.5 feet (3.8 meters) Weight: 3,700 pounds (1,676 kilograms) empty Maximum takeoff weight: 10,500 pounds (4,760 kilograms) Wingspan: 66 feet (20.1 meters) Combat Radius: 1,655 nautical miles (1,878 miles) Ceiling: up to 50,000 feet (15,240 meters) Fuel Capacity: 4,000 pounds (602 gallons) Payload: 3,750 pounds (1,701 kilograms) Armament: Combination of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, GBU-12 and GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions. Crew (remote): Two (pilot and sensor operator) System Cost: $69.1 million (includes four aircraft with sensors) (fiscal 2006 dollars) Inventory: Active force, 9; ANG, 0; Reserve, 0
Author: The Machiavellian
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