Air Force, Marines Train To Make MQ-9 Reaper Expeditionary

An Air Force MQ-9 was refueled on the ground by a Marine MV-22 Osprey, marking the first time an MQ-9 received fuel from a joint platform.

Kimberly Johnson

Friday, August 05, 2022 at 04:21 PM ET

Verified

An MQ-9 Reaper assigned to the 163 Attack Wing, March Air Reserve Base stages for refueling on the Strategic Expeditionary Landing Field on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, on July 21. [Courtesy: U.S. Air National Guard / Staff Sgt. Joseph Pagan]

Key Takeaways:

U.S. Marines conducted the first joint-platform aerial refueling of an MQ-9 Reaper UAV, using an MV-22 Osprey to refuel a California Air National Guard MQ-9 during a recent exercise.
This training aimed to develop tactics for operating the MQ-9 in austere, expeditionary locations, allowing it to refuel and rearm with a small footprint for future conflicts.
The exercise is part of the Marine Corps' broader effort to integrate the newly acquired MQ-9 Reapers, establishing operational procedures for their intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.

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U.S. Marines recently topped off the fuel of a California Air National Guard MQ-9 Reaper on a Southern California airfield during a joint training exercise, marking a significant milestone.

Airmen from the 163rd Attack Wing joined Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 764 in late July for the Integrated Training Exercise 4-22 held at Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, California.