Design
The typical MQ-9 system is composed of multiple aircraft, ground-control stations, satellites, and flight and maintenance crews. The aircraft is powered by a 950 horsepower turboprop, with a maximum speed of about 260 knots (300 miles per hour or 483 km per hour) and a cruising speed of 150-170 knots (278 to 315 km/hour). With a 66 foot wingspan, and a maximum payload of 3800 lb, the MQ-9 can be armed with a variety of weaponry, including Hellfire missiles and 500-lb laser-guided bomb units. The Reaper has a range of 3,682 miles and an operational altitude of 50,000 ft, which make it especially useful for long-term loitering operations, both for surveillance and support of ground troops.
Read more about this topic: General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper
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“What but design of darkness to appall?—
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—Robert Frost (1874–1963)
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