Civilian contractors are flying MQ-9 combat air patrols

The U.S. Air Force has allowed civilian contractors to fly two of its daily MQ-9 combat air patrols.

First MQ-9 Reaper taxies at Creech AFB 2007
By United States Air Force photo by Senior Airman Larry E. Reid Jr. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Each patrol consists of up to four UAVs and those patrols involve only intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance duties.

There are plans by the Pentagon to increase the patrols or orbits from two to ten by 2019.

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