May 24, 2017
All in a night’s work: MQ-9s maximize airpower downrange
CREECH AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. — As many Americans sleep soundly in their beds, Airmen in attack squadrons across the 432nd Wing flying the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper from cockpits in the continental U.S. are having decisive effects in the fight against violent extremism. In combat operations, last week, one MQ-9 squadron, in particular, stood above the rest when aircrews employed 13 Hellfire missiles and 500-pound bombs during one eight-hour overnight shift. These employments occurred in two different combat arenas separated by thousands of miles, while the aircrew piloting the aircraft sat, just feet away from one another, in separate cockpits in the squadron.
May 5, 2017
MQ-9 Reapers add to arsenal, first GBU-38 dropped
CREECH AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. — Airmen from the 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing and the 26th Weapons Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., made history earlier this week, by employing the first GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition from an MQ-9 Reaper for training and in combat downrange.
April 3, 2017
MQ-1, MQ-9 aircrews help liberate Manbij
CREECH AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. — In 2016 MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper aircrews assisted coalition partners in the reclamation of Manbij, Syria, from Islamic State of Iraq and Syria forces. Pilots and sensor operators assigned to squadrons across the 432nd Wing and the 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing provided the close air support and reconnaissance needed for coalition partners to drive ISIS fighters out of the city.
March 22, 2017
MQ-9s participate in Red Flag 17-2
CREECH AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. — Remotely piloted MQ-9 Reaper aircrews from the 89th Attack Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, alongside the 432nd Operations Support Squadron and 42nd ATKS at Creech Air Force Base participated in Red Flag 17-2 from Feb. 27 through March 10, 2017, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The MQ-9s integrated with fourth generation platforms, such as F-15 Eagles and F-16 Falcons, from various U.S. and allied forces in realistic combat training scenarios designed to test and challenge each and every aircrew and their platform.
Feb. 23, 2017
AF prepares for all MQ-9 force
CREECH AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. — For the past 21 years the Air Force has flown the remotely piloted MQ-1 Predator in combat, and for the last 10, the MQ-9 Reaper. Combined with a skilled aircrew, these aircraft provide consistent support in daily engagements making an impact downrange. While the MQ-1 has provided many years of service, the time has come for the Air Force to fly the more capable MQ-9 exclusively, and retire the MQ-1 in early 2018 to keep up with the continuously evolving battlespace environment.
May 9, 2016
Air Force, Navy team up for joint RPA maritime integration training
CREECH AIR FORCE BASE, Nevada – — The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy participated in the annual Fleet Synthetic Training – Joint (FST-J) 16-72, a joint maritime training exercise April 25-29, 2016, at Point Loma Naval Station, San Diego, and Yokosuka, Japan.