The U.S. Air Force announced that it deployed some MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft to Romania, according to a recent service news release.
The U.S. and Romania have a standing partnership to address issues of regional and global security.
To advance those interests, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, the air component of U.S. European Command, will operate MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft from the 71st Air Base, Campia Turzii, Romania, as a visible expression of U.S. efforts to enhance regional stability and to participate in various exercises in the region.
This mission, starting in January 2020, has been fully coordinated with the Romanian government. It is designed to promote stability and security within the region and to strengthen relationships with NATO allies and other European partners.
The MQ-9 Reaper is an armed, multi-mission, medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft that is employed primarily against dynamic execution targets and secondarily as an intelligence collection asset. Given its significant loiter time, wide-range sensors, multi-mode communications suite, and precision weapons — it provides a unique capability to perform strike, coordination, and reconnaissance against high-value, fleeting, and time-sensitive targets.
Reapers can also perform the following missions and tasks: intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, close air support, combat search and rescue, precision strike, buddy-lase, convoy/raid overwatch, target development, and terminal air guidance. The MQ-9’s capabilities make it uniquely qualified to conduct irregular warfare operations in support of combatant commander objectives.