How much is a Reaper drone worth?
How much is a Reaper drone worth?
In 2008 they were $14 million apiece, but the Air Force’s latest budget figures shows each new Reaper costs $32 million. That makes them even more expensive than the pricey, top-end AH-64E Apache attack helicopter. It is a lot for what is, at heart, supposed to be an expendable drone.
Is the Reaper drone armed?
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 collection asset.
How long can a Reaper drone fly for?
System components of Predator UAV The Predator air vehicle is 8.2m (27ft) long and has a 14.9m (49ft) wingspan. The system operates at an altitude of 7,620m (25,000ft) and at a range of 740.8km (400nm). The endurance of the air vehicle is more than 40 hours, while the cruise speed is more than 129.6km/h (70kt).
What does a Reaper drone do?
Reapers can also perform the following missions and tasks: intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, close air support, combat search and rescue, precision strike, buddy-laser, convoy/raid overwatch, route clearance, target development, and terminal air guidance.
How many Reaper drones does the US military have?
Reapers
The Reaper is also used by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the militaries of several other countries. The USAF operated 195 MQ-9 Reapers as of September 2016, and plans to keep the MQ-9 in service into the 2030s.
Who builds the Reaper drone?
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems
General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper/Manufacturers
Can Reaper drones hover?
But Hellfire missiles are not fired straight downwards, and nor does a Reaper hover like a helicopter or the smaller DJI Phantom drone. The Reaper is an aircraft with a 20-metre wingspan. It is piloted using flight control surfaces like flaps and ailerons, which are moved via satellite signal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54LFMqxguDE