Description

During the mid-90s, the first operational flights of the RQ-1 Predator, the world's most famous unmanned aerial vehicle, took place. The Predator was designed to fulfill advanced reconnaissance missions behind enemy lines without endangering crew or pilots. The Predator's flight is controlled by a ground control station using state-of-the-art satellite technology. Its advanced reconnaissance equipment includes an infrared sensor and a synthetic aperture high-resolution radar. The aerodynamic design features a recognizable inverted V tail and propeller. The relatively light weight (just a little over a metric ton) allows for a long endurance and length of stay on the objective. The Predator RQ-1 evolved into the MQ-1 version which can, in addition to its standard advance reconnaissance role, be employed for ground precision strikes. For this purposes, the MQ-1 Predator can employ, among other weapons, two laser-guided AGM-114 Hellfire missiles.