El coro de voces que vienen desde años pidiendo al gobierno de Obama un cambio en su política de exportación de UAVs ha venido incrementando su presión en los últimos años, argumentando que carece de sentido prohibir la venta de un sistema Predator para misiones ISR a un país que ya cuenta con aviones F-16. Finalmente han conseguido su objetivo, y el pasado 17 de Febrero ha sido aprobada una enmienda a la normativa que regula el comercio exterior de aviones no tripulados para uso militar. La enmienda surge en este caso como consecuencia del interés que la administración Obama está poniendo en equipar a sus aliados al objeto de asumir mayores responsabilidades en la guerra global contra el terrorismo, y si bien contempla como hasta ahora condiciones estrictas para la venta o transferencia de UAVs armados, permite sin embargo su exportación a países aliados pero sólo cuando vayan encaminadas a la "mejora de sus capacidades operativas".
CAE (Canadian Aviation Electronics Ltd) announced that it has won a series of contracts valued at approximately C$115 million to provide a range of training systems and services for global defence and security customers.
These include contracts to continue providing MQ-1 Predator/MQ-9 Reaper aircrew training to the United States Air Force (USAF), a contract to update the Royal Canadian Air Force’s CP-140 simulator, and a contract to design and manufacture a UH-72A flight training device for the United States Army.
“CAE is a skilled and capable training systems integrator that offers defence and security forces around the world a comprehensive portfolio of training centres, training services and simulation products,” said Gene Colabatistto, Group President, Defence and Security, CAE. “We are continuing to execute on a solid foundation of existing programs, and remain encouraged by the pipeline of global opportunities we have in front of us.”
A thorough knowledge of the Reaper is required in order to keep the aircraft flying. Holloman AFB has the important mission of preparing Airmen with the knowledge and skills necessary to deploy worldwide at a moment’s notice, to effectively and efficiently perform their duties.
Inspections are performed based on different qualifying factors, including total hours flown and discrepancies noticed or reported during training sorties. Additional inspections are completed on various milestones including 200, 400, 800 and 2,000 hours of flight time. Each inspection is increasingly more in-depth as the flight hours rise.
Recently, the mission of Holloman AFB has transformed from projecting combat airpower to training the next generation of combat pilots and among its many aircraft, Holloman Air Force Base is the premier training base for the MQ-1B Predator and the MQ-9 Reaper. The Airmen thoroughly inspect each part of the aircraft before takeoff and after landing, looking for any discrepancies that could interfere with the proper operation and safety of the aircraft.
The Reaper is an armed, multi-mission, medium-altitude, long-endurance RPA that is used primarily as an intelligence-collection asset. Reapers also perform missions supporting close air support, combat search and rescue, convoy over watch, and target development. The MQ-9's capabilities make it uniquely qualified to conduct warfare operations in support of the deployed commander's objectives. Up to nine people will work on an aircraft at one time, each responsible for different systems. When it comes down to the wire, teamwork is a critical. "We check every part of the aircraft, from the wings to the engines and tires. It's basically like taking your car for a tune-up," said Senior Airman Courtlyn Collier, a 49th AMXS crew chief. "Once a plane lands, you'll see a lot of crew chiefs, avionics and weapons Airmen starting inspections."
