AF lethal weapon on display

DAYTON, OHIO (WDTN) - U.S. Air Force and industry officials joined personnel from the National Museum of the United States Air Force for the opening of the museum's new MQ-9 Reaper exhibit.

As a medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), the MQ-9 locates and destroys time-critical and highly mobile targets and provides real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) to military commanders.

"The Reaper provides the best combination of lethality and persistence most valuable to commanders," said Gen. (Ret.) John P. Jumper, former Air Force Chief of Staff. "We've come a long way since the days of two Hellfire missiles on a Predator A."

After the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Congress directed the Air Force to order two pre-production YMQ-9s for testing. On Oct. 17, 2003, the YMQ-9 Reaper made its first flight from the General Atomics facility in California. Because of the pressing need for an RPA with the Reaper's capabilities, the Air Force sent the two YMQ-9s to Afghanistan in 2005. The production model MQ-9 Reaper made its first flight in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM on Sept. 25, 2007.

For more on the Reaper and other information about the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Log on to, www.NationalMuseum.AF.Mil