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US military utilizes advanced drones for strategic operations

US military utilizes advanced drones for strategic operations
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The United States military employs a range of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for various missions, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Among these UAVs are five notable models.

The General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle is a long-endurance UAV developed for the US Army. It is an upgrade of the MQ-1 Predator with enhanced capabilities. General Atomics stated, "Gray Eagle has an endurance of 25 hours, speeds up to 167 KTAS, can operate up to 29,000 feet, and carries 1,075 lb (488 kg) of internal and external payload." The Army operates around 180 active units of this model.

Another UAV from General Atomics is the MQ-9 Reaper, designed for the US Air Force. It features autonomous flight operations and increased power compared to its predecessors. The USAF has 244 active MQ-9 Reapers in service.

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The AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven is widely used by the US military for intelligence and reconnaissance missions. According to the Air Force, "The RQ-11B Raven small unmanned aircraft system provides real-time direct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and target information for Air Force Security Forces."

The RQ-21 Blackjack is a tactical UAS platform developed by Insitu for the US Navy's requirements. It is equipped with a single EFI piston engine.

Lastly, the RQ-20 Puma serves as a small hand-launched aircraft used for surveillance missions. AeroVironment describes it as "a fully waterproof, small unmanned aircraft system (UAS) designed for land and maritime operations."

These UAVs represent significant advancements in military technology and serve crucial roles in modern warfare strategies.

Organizations Included in this History
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