General Atomics MQ-1 Predator
American remotely piloted aircraft used for reconnaissance and armed strikes.
The General Atomics MQ-1 Predator is an American remotely piloted aircraft built by General Atomics, primarily operated by the U.S. Air Force and the CIA. Designed in the early 1990s for reconnaissance and forward observation, it was later upgraded to carry and fire two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. The aircraft entered service in 1995 and saw combat in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bosnia, Yugoslavia, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Syria, and Somalia. The USAF retired the Predator in 2018, replacing it with the MQ-9 Reaper.
The USAF classifies the Predator as a "Tier II" MALE UAS (medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system). Each system includes four air vehicles with sensors, a ground control station, and a satellite link. Powered by a Rotax engine with a propeller, it can fly up to 400 nautical miles to a target, loiter for 14 hours, and return. The Predator was the primary armed drone for the USAF and CIA in Afghanistan and Pakistan until the Reaper arrived. U.S. officials have praised its intelligence-gathering but declined to discuss its offensive use, which remains classified. Civilian uses have included border enforcement, scientific studies, and monitoring forest fires, such as the 2013 Rim Fire.
Development began in the early 1980s when the CIA and Pentagon experimented with drones. The CIA favored small, quiet designs, unlike the USAF. In the early 1990s, the CIA took interest in the "Amber" drone by Leading Systems, Inc., whose founder Abraham Karem had immigrated from Israel. After the company went bankrupt, a defense contractor bought it, and the CIA secretly purchased five drones (called the "Gnat"). Karem developed a quieter engine, leading to the Predator. General Atomics received a contract in January 1994 for an Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) phase lasting until June 1996. The first flight was on July 3, 1994, at El Mirage airfield in the Mojave Desert. The aircraft was derived from the GA Gnat 750. During ACTD, three systems (twelve aircraft and three ground stations) were bought. In 1995, Predators flew in the Roving Sands exercises and were deployed to Albania for operations in the former Yugoslavia. By 2001, the USAF had 60 Predators but lost 20, mostly due to weather, especially ice. Critics cited poor procedures.
Quick Facts
- Aircraft Type
- Remote piloted aircraft/unmanned combat aerial vehicle
- National Origin
- United States
- Manufacturer
- General Atomics Aeronautical Systems
- First Flight
- 3 July 1994
- Introduction
- 1 July 1995
- Retired
- 9 March 2018 (USAF)
- Primary User
- United States Air Force (retired)
- More Users
- Italian Air Force (retired) / Turkish Air Force / Royal Moroccan Air Force
- Produced
- 1995–2018
- Number Built
- 360 (285 RQ-1, 75 MQ-1)
- Developed From
- General Atomics Gnat
- Variants
- General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The CIA and Pentagon began experimenting with unmanned reconnaissance aircraft in the early 1980s. The CIA preferred small, lightweight drones, and in the early 1990s became interested in the 'Amber' drone developed by Leading Systems, Inc., owned by Abraham Karem. After the company went bankrupt, it was bought by a U.S. defense contractor, and the CIA secretly bought five drones (called the 'Gnat'). Karem produced a quiet engine, and the new development became known as the 'Predator'. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems was awarded a contract in January 1994, and the first flight took place on 3 July 1994 at El Mirage airfield in the Mojave Desert. The aircraft was a derivative of the GA Gnat 750. During the Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) phase from January 1994 to June 1996, three systems were purchased, comprising twelve aircraft and three ground control stations. The Predator was initially designated RQ-1, with 'R' for reconnaissance and 'Q' for unmanned. In 2002, the USAF changed the designation to MQ-1 ('M' for multi-role) to reflect its use as an armed aircraft.
Reader's Guide
The MQ-1 Predator was the primary remotely piloted aircraft used for offensive operations by the USAF and CIA in Afghanistan and the Pakistani tribal areas from 2001 until the introduction of the MQ-9 Reaper. Because offensive uses of the Predator are classified by the U.S., military officials have reported appreciation for its intelligence and reconnaissance abilities but declined to discuss offensive use publicly. The USAF retired the Predator in 2018, replacing it with the Reaper. Civilian applications have included border enforcement, scientific studies, and monitoring wind direction and other characteristics of large forest fires, such as the drone used by the California Air National Guard in the August 2013 Rim Fire. The Predator system was initially designated RQ-1, and the actual aircraft were designated RQ-1K for pre-production and RQ-1L for production models. The improved 'Block 1' version with de-icing systems, an uprated turbocharged engine, and improved avionics was referred to as RQ-1B or MQ-1B if it carried munitions.
More in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Part 2 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced