A key base in the fight against ISIS got more range as the Air Force brought in extended-range MQ-9 Reapers to replace older remotely piloted aircraft. The 386th Air Expeditionary Wing last month received two of the MQ-9 Block 1 Reapers with the extended-range package.
The full transition is expected to last through March 2019. The new Reapers, with additional fuel tanks, a four-blade propeller, and other upgrades, increase the aircraft’s flight time by 33 percent, according to an Air Forces Central Command release. The aircraft arrived in crates, unlike other recent transitions in the Middle East.
Last year, MQ-9s from Al Udeid AB, Qatar, flew directly to Afghanistan instead of being boxed up and flown over in C-17s. Extended range Reapers have been flying in Afghanistan since late 2015.
Source: Air Force Magazine