Wilsbach Calls Reaper Drone 'Most Valuable Player' of Epic Fury

Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach told Congress on May 20 that the reaper drone was the "most valuable player" of Operation Epic Fury against Iran. He made the comment before the House Armed Services Committee after Rep. Mike Rogers asked about the Air Force’s plans for future unmanned and autonomous systems.

House Armed Services Committee

Wilsbach said, "For Epic Fury, perhaps the most valuable player was unmanned: the MQ-9." He added, "We’ve made many, many strikes," and said, "No other platform is even close to the MQ-9."

The Air Force chief tied that assessment to the scale of the campaign. He said the service had made many strikes with Reapers, and the U.S. military hit more than 13,000 targets in Iran during six weeks of heavy fighting from late February to early April.

MQ-9 Use Over Iran

Wilsbach said Reapers flew around a dozen orbits over Iran at a time and were used to strike or provide intelligence to other platforms hitting dynamic targets. The roughly 13,000 targets struck in Iran included more than 4,000 dynamic targets that popped up on the battlefield and were immediately addressed.

Nearly 30 MQ-9 Reapers were lost in operations against Iran, according to people familiar with the matter, and some were struck while on the ground. He also said MQ-9s remain active around the Strait of Hormuz to enforce the ongoing U.S. military blockade against Iranian ports.

Retirement Plans

The comments land while the Air Force has been looking to retire the MQ-9 in the coming years. Wilsbach also said the aircraft can carry radars, sensors, cameras and weapons, and that data links allow Reapers to be operated from around the world and transmit data back to operators and commanders.

Last month, MQ-9s protected the weapons system officer of a downed F-15E Strike Eagle by striking Iranian military-aged males believed to be a threat. That episode shows the drone still has a direct role in combat even as service planners weigh its future.