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Deployment

MQ-9 Reaper at United States Air Force (global operations)

The MQ-9 Reaper (Predator B) is a medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) for the U.S. Air Force and allied nations. With over 27 hours endurance, speeds of 240 KTAS, operating altitude up to 50,000 feet, and a 3,850 lb payload capacity, the MQ-9 is the first hunter-killer UAV designed for long-endurance surveillance and strike missions. 575 units built as of 2026.

MQ-9 Reaper by General Atomics · Catalog entry · 1 source · not yet field-verified · Drones

Track MQ-9 Reaper at United States Air Force (global operations)

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The MQ-9 Reaper has been in continuous service with the U.S. Air Force since 2007, operating from bases including Creech AFB (Nevada), Whiteman AFB (Missouri), and forward-deployed locations across EUCOM, CENTCOM, and INDOPACOM areas of responsibility. 575 units built as of 2026.

Key facts

Operator
U.S. Air Force
Primary users
USAF, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Italian Air Force, Royal Air Force (UK)

Exposure

Customer segment
logistics
Scale tier
mass 100 999

Each exposure value carries its own basis marker. Aggregators report a number; this surface preserves the source class so verification depth travels with the value.

Safety record

3 incidents on record (3 moderate). Most recent: May 2026.

moderate
3
malfunction
2
other
1

Most recent: May 2026

Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.

Incidents on record (3)

Direct incidents recorded against this deployment. Retracted incidents are excluded here but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.

Trust tier
Catalog entry · 1 source · not yet field-verifiedhow tiers work →
Last updated
2026-08-21
Model
MQ-9 Reaper
Company
General Atomics
Location
United States Air Force (global operations)
Operator
General Atomics
Status
operational
Operator type
maker operated
Scale at site
100+ units
Site environment
outdoor
Location precision
verified coordinates
First seen
2007-05-01
ID
746bf592-d711-4a5e-8610-28871571369c

Timeline

  1. May 2007
    First recorded
    MQ-9 Reaper first documented operating at United States Air Force (global operations).
  2. Aug 2026
    Current status: operational, reviewed
    Latest recorded state. New status transitions append here as the deployment-status recorder produces them.

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MQ-9 Reaper operates in United States Air Force (global operations). Explore the full verified map:

Sources (1)

  1. General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Atomics_MQ-9_Reaper · 2026-01-01
Methodology: Verified · 1 source (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-08-21

Verification posture

Verified

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-08-21

Maturity + lifecycle

Maturity stage: production

Lifecycle: superseded

Architectural position

Cohort: aerial

Sources by quality tier

1
knowledge-base
Knowledge base

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for MQ-9 Reaper at United States Air Force (global operations).

Common questions

What is the MQ-9 Reaper deployment at United States Air Force (global operations)?
MQ-9 Reaper, built by General Atomics, is recorded as a deployment at United States Air Force (global operations) on the DEPLOY registry. General Atomics operates the deployment directly.
Who operates MQ-9 Reaper at United States Air Force (global operations)?
General Atomics, the manufacturer of MQ-9 Reaper, operates this deployment directly. This is a maker-deploys-its-own-product arrangement rather than a customer pilot.
When did the MQ-9 Reaper deployment at United States Air Force (global operations) go live?
The deployment is recorded as starting May 1, 2007 on the DEPLOY registry. Earlier activity may exist but is not yet sourced.
Have there been incidents at the MQ-9 Reaper deployment at United States Air Force (global operations)?
3 active incidents affecting this deployment are on the DEPLOY registry. Each is a sourced, append-only record; retracted incidents are suppressed from this view.
Is MQ-9 Reaper at United States Air Force (global operations) safe?
MQ-9 Reaper at United States Air Force (global operations) has 3 active incidents on record in the DEPLOY registry. 3 incidents on record (3 moderate). Most recent: May 2026. Retracted incidents are excluded from this count.

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