Fear the Reaper
Posted on May 22nd, 2008 at 1:42 pm by Steve

Great news!  Now the Air Force can successfully drop 500-pound bombs from unmanned aerial vehicles!

An MQ-9 Reaper successfully dropped its first GPS-guided GBU-49 missile during a live-fire test May 13 at the Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division, at China Lake, Calif.

Manned U.S. aircraft have frequently dropped the 500-pound bomb loaded with a GPS kit in Iraq and Afghanistan because of its accuracy and ability to reduce collateral damage.

Pilots and sensor operators with the 658th Aeronautical Systems Squadron flew three Reaper sorties and dropped six GBU-49s on target, according to an Air Force Material Command news release.