 |
VOOZH | about |
|
VOOZH | about |
In this article:
Following 18 years of service the RAF’s MQ-9A Reaper Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS) has made its final operational flight.
Reaper entered RAF service in October 2007 to provide urgently needed support to UK forces in Afghanistan and has remained on coalition combat operations during Operation Shader – countering Daesh in Iraq and Syria – ever since. Reaper aircraft have flown in excess of 173,000 flying hours – almost 20 years – equivalent to travelling to the moon and back more than 50 times.
Reaper is replaced by the cutting-edge MQ-9B Protector remotely piloted aircraft. This is a step change in capability – offering greater range and endurance, improved weapon systems, and certified and cleared to fly in UK airspace.
Protector offers over 40 hours of endurance, is equipped with advanced sensors, and will support missions including surveillance, search and rescue, and armed operations alongside NATO allies.
“Over the last 18-years, the Reaper Remotely Piloted Air System has been the backbone of RAF operations in the Middle East. Its capabilities have been critical in supporting UK and Coalition forces, and it has made a significant contribution to the RAF’s ability to be Agile, Integrated and Ready to fly and fight. Amassing an astonishing number of operational flying hours, I am incredibly proud of all of the RAF personnel that have been involved in its highly skilled operation over so many years,” Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Harv Smyth, said in a RAF news release.
The Reaper has most recently been flown by crews from XIII Squadron, consisting of a pilot, sensor operator and mission intelligence coordinator who are based in the UK at RAF Waddington, with the aircraft.
The Reaper is a remotely piloted aircraft used for ISTAR and attack missions, equipped with advanced sensors and over-the-horizon satellite control. Operated by a remote crew and supported by in-theatre teams, it provides critical intelligence and targeting capabilities to complement the RAF’s crewed platforms.
The RAF began its use of Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS) by embedding UK personnel with US teams at Creech Air Force Base. No 39 Squadron became the first RAF RPAS squadron, operating the MQ-9A Reaper continuously from 2007 until its disbandment in 2022. Since 2012, No XIII Squadron, based at RAF Waddington, has taken over all Reaper missions. The RAF now recognises RPAS crews’ critical combat contributions, awarding Operational Service Medals for their work on Operation Shader and acknowledging Reaper Mission Intelligence Coordinators as “Airborne Specialists” alongside crewed platform personnel.
Reaper crews combine data from multiple sensors to provide commanders with vital intelligence, enhancing decision-making, protecting ground forces, and enabling precise strikes when needed. Nos 39 and XIII Squadrons have logged nearly 150,000 flight hours on Operations HERRICK and SHADER.
Photo credit: Crown Copyright
Dario Leone: All articles
