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.
What does a Reaper drone do?
The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (sometimes called Predator B) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) primarily for the United States Air Force (USAF).
How much is a Reaper drone?
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.
What is the difference between a Reaper and Predator drone?
The main difference between the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper is the size, mission, payload, speed and range (see specs at the end of this page). The Reaper is mainly used as an attack UAV (hunter killer) and thus carries significantly more ordnance (see armament info below). The Predator’s primary role is ISR.
