RAF adds five more MQ-9 Reaper in Afghanistan

RAF Reaper in Afghan photo: UK MoD Copyright UK has deployed five more General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper remotely-piloted aircraft to support g...

RAF Reaper in Afghan photo: UK MoD Copyright

UK has deployed five more General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper remotely-piloted aircraft to support ground troops in Afghanistan with vital intelligence.
The deployment brings the RAF Reaper fleet in Afghanistan to 10. Reaper will operate alongside the British Army’s Elbit Hermes 450 unmanned air vehicle.

The additional Reaper aircraft are flying from Kandahar Airfield in support of Afghan, UK and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops.
Reaper provides vital surveillance and reconnaissance support to ground forces. It can also be armed with laser-guided bombs and Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missile.
UK MoD said, over 54,000 hours of operations using Reaper in Afghanistan, only 459 weapons have been fired, which is less than one weapon for every 120 hours of flying.

The first five Reapers were delivered in February 2014.