Can the Military Save This Deadly Terrorist Hunter from the Scrap Heap?

Twenty thousand feet above Afghanistan, a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper prowls the skies, its tip-to-tip wingspan stretching 66 feet. It’s early 2021, before the U.S. withdrawal, and the aircraft is on an armed Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) mission. It’s also carrying a payload of up to eight AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, weapons so accurate that the CIA sometimes swaps their explosives with blades to target specific seats in moving cars. The Reaper takes its cues from two people: a pilot at the aircraft’s controls, and an enlisted sensor operator controlling the MTS-B targeting pod. Both personnel are more than 7,000 miles away, at Whiteman Air Force Base in Johnson County, Missouri. The aircraft has been aloft for more than 15 hours, but its pilot, Captain Dennis (surname redacted due to operational security concerns) is just beginning his shift at the controls. It takes 1.2 seconds for the captain’s commands to reach the Reaper, and the aircraft returns high-definition video on a screen in front of his control panel. Just five minutes after the captain takes over the aircraft, he receives a “Troops in Contact” notification: Friendly troops are under fire by the enemy. [View in Browser]( [Popular Mechanics]( [SHOP]( [EXCLUSIVE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [Pop Mech Pro]( [Can the Military Save This Deadly Terrorist Hunter from the Scrap Heap?]( [Can the Military Save This Deadly Terrorist Hunter from the Scrap Heap?]( Twenty thousand feet above Afghanistan, a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper prowls the skies, its tip-to-tip wingspan stretching 66 feet. It’s early 2021, before the U.S. withdrawal, and the aircraft is on an armed Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) mission. It’s also carrying a payload of up to eight AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, weapons so accurate that the CIA sometimes swaps their explosives with blades to target specific seats in moving cars. The Reaper takes its cues from two people: a pilot at the aircraft’s controls, and an enlisted sensor operator controlling the MTS-B targeting pod. Both personnel are more than 7,000 miles away, at Whiteman Air Force Base in Johnson County, Missouri. The aircraft has been aloft for more than 15 hours, but its pilot, Captain Dennis (surname redacted due to operational security concerns) is just beginning his shift at the controls. It takes 1.2 seconds for the captain’s commands to reach the Reaper, and the aircraft returns high-definition video on a screen in front of his control panel. Just five minutes after the captain takes over the aircraft, he receives a “Troops in Contact” notification: Friendly troops are under fire by the enemy. [Read More]( [Join Now]( [The 16 Best Artificial Christmas Trees To Buy Right Now — Before They Sell Out]( [The 16 Best Artificial Christmas Trees To Buy Right Now — Before They Sell Out]( Supply chain issues and rising prices mean you'd better get your fake tree ASAP [Read More]( [Oculus’s Quest 2 is a Much-Needed Escape From Reality]( [Oculus’s Quest 2 is a Much-Needed Escape From Reality]( A standalone VR headset that allows you to jump into room-scale VR experiences within seconds [Read More]( [Alternate text] [Alternate text] [Do the U.S. Navy’s Aircraft Carriers Still Rule the Seas After Nearly 100 Years?]( [Do the U.S. Navy’s Aircraft Carriers Still Rule the Seas After Nearly 100 Years?]( Bigger and more capable than ever, carriers are also more expensive and vulnerable. [Read More]( [These Top-Rated Fireplace TV Stands Will Keep You Cozy and Entertained All Winter]( These Top-Rated Fireplace TV Stands Will Keep You Cozy and Entertained All Winter]( Cuddle up on the sofa in front of a warm fire while binge-watching to your heart’s content. [Read More]( [Alternate text] [You Can Buy This Extremely Rare World War II-Era B-17 Bomber]( [You Can Buy This Extremely Rare World War II-Era B-17 Bomber]( It's all yours! Well, if you have $9 million laying around. [Read More]( [Alternate text] [Alternate text] [The Best Tire Covers to Protect Your Rims and Rubber From the Elements]( [The Best Tire Covers to Protect Your Rims and Rubber From the Elements]( Look after your tires and they’ll look after you. [Read More]( [7 Great Handheld Game Systems for Mobile Gaming]( [7 Great Handheld Game Systems for Mobile Gaming]( Great games aren’t just for the big screen. We break down the best handheld consoles for gamers on the go, featuring heavy hitters like Nintendo and Apple in the spotlight. [Read More]( [Alternate text] [Get your copy of Good Housekeeping Amazing Science today!]( Follow Us [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Notice/Notice at Collection]( PopularMechanics.com ©2021 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019