Tue, Mar 29, 2005
An Air Force MQ-1 Predator unmanned
aerial vehicle crashed about 10 p.m. EST on March 26 in the
vicinity of Balad, Iraq.
The aircraft was assigned to the 15th Expeditionary
Reconnaissance Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. It was in
the U.S. Central Command area of operations supporting Operation
Iraqi Freedom.
A board of officers will investigate the accident.
MQ-1 Predator Data
Initially fielded as the RQ-1, an advanced concept technology
demonstrator, the Predator was first used in the Balkan theater in
the mid-1990s. The change in designation from "R" (reconnaissance)
to "M" (multi-role) occurred in 2002. The "Q" is the Department of
Defense designation for unmanned aircraft system. The "1" refers to
the aircraft being the first of a series of purpose-built unmanned
reconnaissance aircraft systems.
The Predator system was designed in response to a Department of
Defense requirement to provide persistent intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance information to the warfighter.
In April 1996, the secretary of defense selected the U.S. Air
Force as the operating service for the Predator system. Operating
responsibility is at the 11th, 15th and 17th Reconnaissance
Squadrons, Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field, Nev.
MQ-1 General Characteristics
|
| |
| Primary Function |
Armed reconnaissance, airborne surveillance and target
acquisition |
| Contractor |
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Incorporated |
| Power Plant |
Rotax 914, 4 cyl. engine, 101 HP |
| Length |
27 feet |
| Height |
6.9 feet |
| Weight |
1,130 pounds empty, max T/O wt 2,250 pounds |
| Wingspan |
48.7 feet |
| Speed |
Cruise speed around 84 mph, up to 135 mph |
| Range |
up to 400 nautical miles |
| Ceiling |
up to 25,000 feet |
| Fuel Capacity |
665 pounds |
| Payload |
450 pounds |
| System Cost |
$40 million |
| Initial Operational Capability |
March 1, 2005 |
| Inventory |
Active force, 68; ANG, 0; Reserve, 0 |
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