The 20th Attack Squadron locates and kill a terrorist command

The demand for UAVs to conduct armed overwatch missions to help protect United States forces, as well as their allies and partners, isn't going away, but exact the opposite: For the foreseeable future, the Reapers will continue to provide this invaluable service for American troops around the world, as you can see in a recently released video that includes a unique clip that an MQ-9 Reaper captured of militants firing a rocket-propelled grenade at a C-130 Hercules airlifter that was performing an air drop of cargo at relatively low altitude.

In the full video, the UAV's pilot and sensor operator, who later struck those hostile forces, also offer an interesting behind-the-scenes look at how the unmanned aircraft perform these kinds of armed overwatch missions. The Air Force's 432nd Wing at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, one of the service's premier UAV units, posted the video on YouTube on Apr. 6, 2020. The pilot, 1st Lieutenant Russel, and the sensor operator, Airman First Class Ashley, both assigned to the 20th Attack Squadron, which itself is assigned to the 432nd, but is based at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, describe the event.

General Atomics Jobs: Airframe & Powerplant Specialist

General Atomics Systems Integration LLC (GA-SI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a provider of military and commercial engineering services.

GA-SI is a leading-edge expert in systems integration technologies, reliability improvements, and controls system design.

They currently have an exciting opportunity for an experienced A&P Specialist for their Aero Services division to support MQ-9 Reaper operations based out of Creech AFB in Indian Springs, Nevada. 

AMONG OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Works under limited supervision providing technical support for the mechanical installation, troubleshooting and inspection on UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles).

• Performs scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on UAVs.

More info at:

https://www.glassdoor.com/job-listing/airframe-powerplant-specialist-deployable-flex-general-atomics-and-affiliated-companies-JV_KO0,46_KE47,87.htm?jl=2447711134&ctt=1497107624273

Final FAA-mandated UAV test site established in Virginia

In December 2013 the FAA selected six test sites that would help facilitate the utilisation of UAVs in national airspace, all of which have subsequently opened since April 2014.

The measures were a result of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, in which the administration was mandated by Congress to ensure UAVs can be fully integrated into the national airspace by 30 September 2015. The sixth and final US Federal Aviation Administration-mandated unmanned air vehicle (UAV) test site has been established in Virginia.

The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University test site officially opened on 13 August, and follows the opening of the other sites in Alaska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota and Texas.

FAA names six states as UAV test sites

The FAA has announced that six states have won the bid for official UAV testing sites. The states that won the bids include Virginia, Nevada, Texas, New York, Alaska and North Dakota. The sites will allow for testing of UAVs in controlled environments to gather data on how different UAVs perform. In 2015, the FAA has been mandated to open the airspace for operation of UAVs.  Agriculture is said to be one of the primary beneficiaries of UAV technology in the future.

USAF RPA: Two Million Flying Hours

It took sixteen years for the Remotely Piloted Aircraft community to reach one million flight hours.

A short two and a half years later, the RPA is celebrating again with its two millionth hour on the job. The US Air Force’s Remotely Piloted Aircraft fleet reaches a milestone of 2 million flying hours with help from Airmen on Creech Air Force Base, Nevada.

(Read more)

Secret American drone airbase in Saudi Arabia exposed

The American media has been in an uproar over the past week over reports on the existence of a secret American drone base built in Saudi Arabia for launching unmanned aerial reconnaissance and strike missions against Al-Qaida targets in Yemen and perhaps other countries such as Iran. Since the news came out, reporters and bloggers have been feverishly searching satellite footage documenting the base's existence, but it hasn't been easy. There are no aircraft to be seen in the pictures but the base contains three clamshell-shaped hangars, large enough to contain Predator or Reaper drones, the types most typically used by the United States Air Force and Central Intelligence Agency when conducting secret activity in the region, as well as, two relatively short runways. The base apparently supports missions over Yemen but the range of the drones would enable them to fly over other nations, including crossing the Persian Gulf to Iran. (Read more)