Page 1 - Desert Lightning News, Nellis-Creech AFB Edition, Feb. 23 2018
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vol. 2, no. 4 Serving Southern Nevada’s military community, including Nellis, Creech and NTTR Feb. 23, 2018
An Aerotech news And review publicAtion • www.Aerotechnews.com
Sunsetting the MQ-1 Predator: iliary Field, Nev., as Air Combat
Command’s first Predator unit.
A hiStory of innovAtion
The 11th RS took operational
control of the deployed RQ-1 at
Taszar, Hungary, in the fall of
1996. Joined in Indian Springs
by the 15th RS in the summer of
1997, deployed members of these
units flew the Predator’s first com-
bat missions over the Balkans in
1999 to provide ISR for U.S. and
coalition strike aircraft under
Operation Allied Force.
Over the years, the RQ-1 had its
fair share of growing pains until
Airmen were able to tap into its
full potential.
During early RQ-1 deploy-
ments, several aircraft were de-
stroyed due to infrastructure
problems or surface-to-air mis-
siles. Through trial and error,
___ See pREDATOR, on Page 4
Air Force photograph by Senior Airman Christian Clausen An MQ-1 Predator sits on the flight
line Dec. 8, 2016, at Creech Air Force
Base, Nev. The Predator started as an
RQ-1 in the late 1990s, providing only
reconnaissance capabilities until the
early 2000s, when it was equipped
with two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles
and designated as a multi-role asset.
by Senior Airman James Thompson Air Force photograph by Senior Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo
Creech AFB, Nev. An MQ-1 Predator flies above the flight line during launch and recovery training at Creech Air Force Base, Nev. Aircrew
will fly the MQ-1 for the final time at Creech on March 9, 2018, before it is officially retired from the Air Force inventory.
The MQ-1 Predator is a Remotely Piloted Aircraft
flown by aircrew assigned to the 432nd Wing/432nd
Air Expeditionary Wing at Creech Air Force Base,
Nev., and units around the world.
It has contributed to U.S. war fighting efforts in
unprecedented ways and is scheduled to sunset on
March 9, 2018, as the Air Force transitions to an
all-MQ-9 Reaper force.
With the introduction of aerial warfare, countries
all over the world raced to the skies to gain tactical
advantage over their adversaries. Devices such as bal-
loons were used in early conflict for reconnaissance
and, while the thought of such technology seems
primitive today, that same pursuit of aerial superiority
ultimately inspired the MQ-1.
An initial unarmed intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance RQ-1 version of the Predator first de-
ployed and operated out of Albania in July 1995. That
same month, the Air Force activated the 11th Recon-
naissance Squadron at Indian Springs Air Force Aux-
INSIDE: Commentary — 2; News — 3-8; Veterans’ News — 9; Nellis Living — 12-14
