Another US military drone, MQ-9 Reaper, has reportedly been shot down by Houthis rebels. The MQ-9 Reaper drone, costing more than $50 million, was the terrorist group's second downing after shooting one down one in international airspace near Yemen in November.
The Associated Press reported that Houthis on early Tuesday released footage of a surface-to-air missile bringing down the Reaper drone off the coast of Hodeida, a port city on the Red Sea coast of Yemen.
The Pentagon said the drone has not been recovered and that an investigation is ongoing. In a statement released on Monday, the Houthis noted that they had targeted the Reaper and two US ships in the Gulf of Aden.
(Photo: BAKR ALKASEM/AFP via Getty Images)
Passersby and gunmen gather at the site of a reported drone strike in Bzaah town near al-Bab in Syria's Aleppo governorate on July 7, 2023.
What Is the MQ-9 Reaper Drone?
The MQ-9 Reaper drone is reportedly a US military drone that is employed mainly for gathering intelligence and identifying dynamic targets for execution.
The "Q" stands for remotely piloted aircraft system, and the "M" is the DoD classification for multi-role, which is how the drone received its name. The "9" indicates that it is the ninth system in the series of remotely piloted aircraft systems.
Costing more than $50 million to produce, the MQ-9 is also capable of buddy-lase, close air support, combat search and rescue, precision strike, convoy and raid overwatch, route clearance, and terminal air guiding.
Due to its capabilities, the MQ-9 is ideally suited to carry out operations related to irregular warfare in support of the goals of combatant commanders.
The Reaper is part of a remotely piloted aircraft system. Its crew consists of a rated pilot to control the aircraft and command the mission and an enlisted aircrew member to operate sensors and guide weapons.
The MQ-9 reaper drone first ran on regular highways as part of its Exercise Agile Chariot carried out by the US Air Force from April 30 to May 2 last year. The program was meant to test the viability of the US defense aircraft models in regions lacking airfields or runways.
The drone is also customizable and uses mission kits with different weapon and sensor payload combinations to give tailored capabilities to combatant commanders.
The drone is also portable, and it is possible to disassemble and load the remotely piloted aircraft into a single container for global deployment. Operating from regular US airfields, the MQ-9 drone has unobstructed sightliness to the ground data terminal antenna, enabling line-of-sight communications during takeoff and landing.
The drone was created in response to a direction from the Department of Defense to assist programs for overseas contingency operations. The US Air Force proposed the MQ-9 Reaper system.
It can execute time-sensitive targets with precision and destroy or disable them. It is more powerful and larger than the MQ-1 Predator.
Reuters reported that the MQ-9 could remain at an altitude of around 50,000 feet for over 27 hours to gather intelligence. Its Honeywell engine, which has a wingspan of 66 feet (20.12 meters), allows it to carry 3,900 pounds (1769 kg) of fuel and reach a top speed of 240 knots (444 kph).
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MQ-9 Reaper Drone vs. Houthis
Commenting on the latest Houthi attacks, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said the attacks are becoming more complex but maintained that the US' "dynamic strikes or coalition strikes absolutely have an impact" on the terrorist group.
The Iran-backed militants have previously stated that their attacks against the US and British forces are a response to the two nations' aggression.
Related Article: US Drone Attack Kills ISIL Commander in Syria After Russian Jet Harassment
(Photo: Tech Times)
