The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (sometimes called Predator B) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV, one component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS)) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations, developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) primarily for the United States Air Force (USAF). The MQ-9 and other UAVs ...

An MQ-9 Reaper, armed with GBU-12 Paveway II laser guided munitions and AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, piloted by Col. Lex Turner flies a combat mission over southern Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force Photo / Lt. Col. Leslie Pratt)

MQ-9A was designated "Reaper" by the U.S. and Royal Air Force, but has become the widely used name for any Predator B equipped with weapons. Featuring unmatched operational flexibility, MQ-9A has an endurance of over 27 hours, speeds of 240 KTAS, can operate up to 50,000 feet, and has a 3,850 pound (1746 kilogram) payload capacity that includes ...

The MQ-9 Reaper is an armed, multi-mission, medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft that is employed primarily against dynamic execution targets and secondarily as an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance asset.

1 day ago · Marines test the TowFLEXX TF-3 Milspec, a new aircraft tug capability, with the MQ-9A Reaper at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in March 2025. The TowFLEXX allows a single operator to maneuver military aircraft with unprecedented precision, maintaining the aircraft's nose wheel alignment while enabling 360-degree turns in confined spaces.

To meet combatant commanders' requirements, the Reaper delivers tailored capabilities using mission kits containing various weapons and sensor payload combinations. The MQ-9 baseline system...

The MQ-9 Reaper boasts an advanced sensor suite that includes a multi-spectral targeting system (MTS-B), enabling it to capture and analyze data in multiple spectra. This system provides high-resolution imagery, allowing operators to gather critical information in real-time.

Mar 5, 2025 · A U.S. military MQ-9 Reaper drone disappeared over the Red Sea the same day Houthi militants in Yemen claimed to have shot one down. U.S. Central Command lost contact with the drone Monday.

3 days ago · DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed Tuesday that they shot down another American MQ-9 Reaper drone, as the U.S. kept up its intense airstrikes targeting the group. The reported shootdown came as airstrikes hit around Sanaa, the country’s rebel-held capital, and Saada, a Houthi stronghold.

Mar 10, 2025 · The Navy’s MQ-9 Reaper test squadron at Pax River received the first SkyTower II (STII) pod in preparation for the system’s initial operational capability (IOC) next year. Air Test and Evaluation (UX) 24 loaded the new pod onto the aircraft Feb. 25, conducting initial power on checks, the first step into integrating the new capability into the aircraft platform.