MQ-1 Downed In Southwest Asia

An Air Force MQ-1 Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle crashed at 10:20 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time on Nov. 24 at an undisclosed military installation in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

Combined Air Operations Center officials said the accident was not the result of enemy fire, and the aircraft was recovered.

The MQ-1's primary mission is interdiction and conducting armed reconnaissance against critical, perishable targets. When the MQ-1 is not actively pursuing its primary mission, it augments the RQ-1 as a Joint Forces air component commander-owned theater asset for reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition in support of the Joint Force commander. The MQ-1 Predator carries the Multispectral Targeting System with inherent AGM-114 Hellfire missile targeting capability and integrates electro-optical, infrared, laser designator and laser illuminator into a single sensor package. The aircraft can employ two laser-guided Hellfire anti-tank missiles with the MTS ball.

A board of officers will investigate the accident.

FMI: www.usaf.mil