The MQ-9 Reaper landed on a dirt road for the first time ever and demonstrated its ability to transport important cargo

The MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle comes in a variety of versions. The drone can be used for reconnaissance, surveillance, information gathering and for strikes against the enemy. However, the US Air Force has demonstrated that it can also transport important cargo.

Here's What We Know

The US Air Force is actively seeking new uses for the drone. For now, the armed version uses AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles, but in the future it will be able to carry AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles.

According to a recent press release, the drone authored a unique achievement on 15 June 2023. The MQ-9 Reaper landed on a dirt road for the first time ever. Previously, we have seen the drone take off and land on a public highway.

The test took place at Nine Mile Training Centre, Texas. The 2nd Special Operations Squadron, the 727th Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the 311st Special Operations Intelligence Squadron teamed up for the test.

The US Air Force called the successful test a "significant achievement" for the service. Lieutenant Colonel Brian Flanigan issued this statement. He said the test demonstrated that the Reaper can operate anywhere in the world and is not tied to an ideal infrastructure.

The US Air Force now knows that the drone can take off and land anywhere in the world. In this test, the drone flew with a transport pod. The concept has been dubbed "Express-Reaper". The service said the drone could deliver critical items to "rugged places".

Source: 919th Special Operations Wing