One Million Combat Hours

The Air Force’s remotely piloted aircraft fleet is on track to reach one million combat flight hours next month, Gen. Robert Kehler, head of Air Force Space Command, said Friday. Speaking at AFA’s Global Warfare Symposium in Los Angeles, Kehler said RPA are the perfect example of how the Air Force’s three domains—air, space, and cyberspace—integrate for operational success. The remotely piloted fleet of MQ-9 Reapers and MQ-1 Predators is “invaluable” to combatant commanders by providing troops the ability to operate in small teams with the knowledge that they can apply the power of a larger group when necessary. “The cross domain synergy is what provides us the advantage,” said Kehler.