Th
e Air Force MQ-9 hunter-killer unmanned aerial vehicle, called by its maker General Atomics Aeronautical Systems a Predator B, has officially been dubbed “Reaper.” Gen. Michael Moseley, Air Force Chief of Staff, chose the name, which came from airmen in the field, because “it captures the lethal nature of the new weapon system,” according to an Air Force press release. The MQ-9 is the big brother of the MQ-1 Predator. It can carry 15 times the ordnance of the Predator, fly three times as fast and can stay airborne for 14 hours fully loaded. Currently, the Air Force has seven MQ-9s and doesn’t expect to make a full rate production decision until 2009. GAAS said earlier this year the company could ramp up production at any time.
Watchdog Says Military Can Make Cyber Ops More Efficient
Sept. 17, 2025
The Government Accountability Office called for paring down the military's sprawling cyber enterprise in a recent report, amid renewed discussion about standing up a separate cyber force.
