Holloman Reaper in first SAR mission

The US Air Force has reported that for the first time ever, a remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) from Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, US, has supported an interstate search and rescue (SAR) mission. The aircraft, an MQ-9 ‘Reaper’ from the 29th Attack Squadron (ATKS), was used in SAR mission due to the RPA’s flying and survey ability, said Maj. Dustin (last name withheld), 29th ATKS assistant director of operations. RPAs have very long endurance, which means they can stay airborne for many hours. This gives operators the capability to provide reconnaissance and SAR support, said Lt Col Jonathan (last name withheld), 29th ATKS director of operations. This is the first time an RPA has been allowed to fly outside of Holloman’s Federal Aviation Administration approved airspace to support a SAR mission. Maj. Dustin explained: “To be able to fly in the national airspace, there is a lot of co-ordination that has to take place to allow this to happen. The state police were first to initiate the search and rescue, and then we received the word from Air Combat Command that Holloman could be tasked to help. As soon as the approval came, the 29th ATKS had plans ready […]
Holloman Reaper in first SAR mission