Wed, Sep 22, 2010
Additional UAS Allows RAF To Fly Multiple Unmanned Missions
Consecutively
The latest addition to the Royal Air Force's Reaper fleet will
allow 39 Squadron to fly multiple Reaper aircraft at any one time
over Afghanistan. A total of 36 hours of video surveillance can now
be delivered in support of troops on the ground every day of the
year, which marks an 80 per cent increase over the past 12
months.
RAF Reaper UK MoD Photo
Reaper has been supporting ground forces in Afghanistan since
October 2007 and has now flown over 13,000 hours in direct support
of operations. It provides commanders with a constant 'eye in the
sky' that can seek out and track insurgent activity around patrols,
search for potential IEDs, and provide an armed response if
required.
"My background is flying support helicopters on the battlefield,
but I have never felt more connected to the heart of the battle on
the ground than when I'm flying the Reaper," said an unnamed Reaper
pilot. "When you're speaking to a soldier on the ground for hours
at a time, night after night, looking around every corner for him,
scanning every tree line and reacting every time his guys take
fire, you feel like you really are fighting alongside him. You can
hear the palpable relief in the voices of the guys as we call them
up on the radio and check in to provide them with defensive cover
and a heavily armed response if called upon. It's the most
rewarding mission I've had the opportunity to complete in the
RAF."
File Photo USAF
The Reaper has a 66-foot wing span and is powered by a turboprop
engine that allows it to stay in the air for more than 16 hours
without refueling. It carries a multi-spectral targeting system,
more commonly referred to as 'the ball', which, day and night,
collects video from thousands of feet above insurgents, where it is
undetectable. The aircraft also carries Hellfire missiles and
laser-guided bombs, the release of which remain under the full
control of the Reaper pilots on the ground.
"The arrival of this new aircraft demonstrates our ongoing
commitment to ensuring that our troops on the front line get all
the equipment that they need," said Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox.
"Reaper continues to play a vital part in our air power capability
in Afghanistan and there is no doubt that this cutting-edge
technology is saving lives."
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