T
he Air Force’s Predator unmanned aerial vehicle fleet deployed to support operations in Iraq in June flew 3,279 hours and more that 175 combat sorties, reports MSgt. Steve Horton. The airmen of the 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron at Balad AB, Iraq, say that was a record month for the Predator, but the July flying hours surpassed the June numbers, reaching more than 3,300 hours. Maj. Jon Dagley, 46th ERS commander, says, “Currently, the Predator is the most requested asset in theater,” predicting that “the demand will only continue to skyrocket.”
The proliferation of small unmanned aerial systems, usually commercially available drones that can be outfitted to drop weapons, is the most “persistent and dangerous” threat to troops in the Middle East in decades. “These small- and medium-sized UAS proliferating across the [area of operations] present a new and complex threat…