Don’t Fear The Reaper

For nearly two decades, the MQ-9 Reaper has been one of the U.S. military’s most feared drones. The high-flying, high-budget unmanned aerial system (UAS) has formed the backbone of America’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) efforts over adversarial skies since 2007, gliding 13,000 feet higher than a passenger jet for more than a day at a time to gather unparalleled battlefield data come rain or shine. It’s also a vicious bird of prey, carrying a loadout of hellfire missiles and laser-guided bombs to deliver pinpoint strikes at a moment’s notice-as the ghost of Iranian Quds Force General Qasem Soleimani can…