The MQ-9 Reaper in Combat

February 13, 2025 01:08:34
The MQ-9 Reaper in Combat
The Spear
The MQ-9 Reaper in Combat

Feb 13 2025 | 01:08:34

/

Show Notes

This episode features a story from Joe Ritter, an Air Force officer and MQ-9 Reaper pilot. The MQ-9, the largest remotely piloted aircraft in the US military's inventory, has a wide range of the capabilities—from providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance to conducting battle damage assessments to helping a ground element direct their fires to striking enemy targets with air-to-ground Hellfire missiles. Ritter and his sensor operator brought all of these capabilities to the fight during a single mission in Afghanistan in October 2018.

Other Episodes

Episode 0

March 11, 2020 00:35:37
Episode Cover

Two Wars in Iraq

In 2003, Alex Perez-Cruz was a company executive officer during the invasion of Iraq. He returned as a company commander during the Surge. Now...

Listen

Episode 0

October 27, 2021 00:53:20
Episode Cover

Mosul Gets Hot, Part 1

In late 2004, Mosul was becoming more and more unstable. Matt Sacra, a Stryker platoon leader, and his soldiers deployed there to help quell...

Listen

Episode

December 19, 2018 00:40:24
Episode Cover

The Battle of Mogadishu, Part Two

This episode of The Spear is the second in a two-part series featuring three guests who took part in the Battle of Mogadishu, made...

Listen