Latest news with #MQ-9Reapers
Iraqi News
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Iraqi News
US bases in the Middle East
Washington – Iran on Sunday threatened military bases used by US forces to launch attacks on the country's nuclear sites, saying such facilities would be considered legitimate targets. The United States has thousands of troops deployed on bases across the Middle East. Below, AFP examines countries with major concentrations of US forces in the Middle East, which falls under the US military's Central Command (CENTCOM). – Bahrain – The tiny Gulf kingdom hosts an installation known as Naval Support Activity Bahrain, where the US Navy's Fifth Fleet and US Naval Forces Central Command headquarters are based. Bahrain's deep-water port can accommodate the largest US military vessels, such as aircraft carriers, and the US Navy has used the base in the country since 1948, when the facility was operated by Britain's Royal Navy. Several US ships have their home port in Bahrain, including four anti-mine vessels and two logistical support ships. The US Coast Guard also has vessels in the country, including six fast response cutters. – Iraq – The United States has troops at various installations in Iraq, including Al-Asad and Arbil air bases. The Iraqi government is a close ally of Iran, but also a strategic partner of Tehran's arch-foe the United States. There are some 2,500 US troops in Iraq as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State jihadist group. Baghdad and Washington have agreed on a timetable for the gradual withdrawal of the coalition's forces from the country. US forces in Iraq and Syria were repeatedly targeted by pro-Iran militants following the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, but responded with heavy strikes on Tehran-linked targets, and the attacks largely subsided. – Kuwait – Kuwait has several US bases, including Camp Arifjan, the location of the forward headquarters for the US Army component of CENTCOM. The US Army also has stocks of prepositioned materiel in the country. Ali al-Salem Air Base hosts the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, which the military describes as the 'primary airlift hub and gateway for delivering combat power to joint and coalition forces' in the region. Additionally, the United States has drones including MQ-9 Reapers in Kuwait. – Qatar – Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar includes the forward components of CENTCOM, as well as of its air forces and special operation forces in the region. It also hosts rotating combat aircraft, as well as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, which the military says includes 'airlift, aerial refueling intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and aeromedical evacuation assets.' – Syria – The United States has for years maintained troop presences at a series of installations in Syria as part of international efforts against the Islamic State group, which rose out of the country's civil war to overrun large parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq. The Pentagon announced in April that it would roughly halve the number of its forces in the country to less than 1,000 in the coming months as part of a 'consolidation' of US troops in the country. – United Arab Emirates – Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE hosts the US 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, a force that is composed of 10 squadrons of aircraft and also includes drones such as MQ-9 Reapers. Combat aircraft have rotated through Al Dhafra, which also hosts the Gulf Air Warfare Center for air and missile defense training.
Int'l Business Times
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
US Bases In The Middle East
Iran on Sunday threatened military bases used by US forces to launch attacks on the country's nuclear sites, saying such facilities would be considered legitimate targets. The United States has thousands of troops deployed on bases across the Middle East. Below, AFP examines countries with major concentrations of US forces in the Middle East, which falls under the US military's Central Command (CENTCOM). The tiny Gulf kingdom hosts an installation known as Naval Support Activity Bahrain, where the US Navy's Fifth Fleet and US Naval Forces Central Command headquarters are based. Bahrain's deep-water port can accommodate the largest US military vessels, such as aircraft carriers, and the US Navy has used the base in the country since 1948, when the facility was operated by Britain's Royal Navy. Several US ships have their home port in Bahrain, including four anti-mine vessels and two logistical support ships. The US Coast Guard also has vessels in the country, including six fast response cutters. The United States has troops at various installations in Iraq, including Al-Asad and Arbil air bases. The Iraqi government is a close ally of Iran, but also a strategic partner of Tehran's arch-foe the United States. There are some 2,500 US troops in Iraq as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State jihadist group. Baghdad and Washington have agreed on a timetable for the gradual withdrawal of the coalition's forces from the country. US forces in Iraq and Syria were repeatedly targeted by pro-Iran militants following the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, but responded with heavy strikes on Tehran-linked targets, and the attacks largely subsided. Kuwait has several US bases, including Camp Arifjan, the location of the forward headquarters for the US Army component of CENTCOM. The US Army also has stocks of prepositioned materiel in the country. Ali al-Salem Air Base hosts the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, which the military describes as the "primary airlift hub and gateway for delivering combat power to joint and coalition forces" in the region. Additionally, the United States has drones including MQ-9 Reapers in Kuwait. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar includes the forward components of CENTCOM, as well as of its air forces and special operation forces in the region. It also hosts rotating combat aircraft, as well as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, which the military says includes "airlift, aerial refueling intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and aeromedical evacuation assets." The United States has for years maintained troop presences at a series of installations in Syria as part of international efforts against the Islamic State group, which rose out of the country's civil war to overrun large parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq. The Pentagon announced in April that it would roughly halve the number of its forces in the country to less than 1,000 in the coming months as part of a "consolidation" of US troops in the country. Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE hosts the US 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, a force that is composed of 10 squadrons of aircraft and also includes drones such as MQ-9 Reapers. Combat aircraft have rotated through Al Dhafra, which also hosts the Gulf Air Warfare Center for air and missile defense training.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Department Of Homeland Security Predator B Drones Are Orbiting Over Los Angeles
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has been flying its Predator B drones, also commonly referred to by their military variant designation of MQ-9 Reapers, over Los Angeles as part of the U.S. government's response to the unrest there, the agency confirmed to us on Wednesday. The flights are in response to protests that escalated to violence on multiple occasions, following a massive operation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last Friday. Persistent aerial surveillance like this has long been controversial, with civil rights advocates saying it violates the right to privacy and undermines the Constitution. At the same time, the fact that a drone is doing it largely evokes a uniquely upsetting response. While using the Predator Bs over urban locales is rare, it's not unprecedented, and manned platforms do this kind of work every day across the country. CBP's Air and Marine Operations (AMO) 'MQ-9 Predators are supporting our federal law enforcement partners in the Greater Los Angeles area, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with aerial support of their operations,' spokesman John Mennell told us Wednesday afternoon in response to our query earlier this week. 'Additionally, they are providing officer safety surveillance when requested by officers. AMO is not engaged in the surveillance of First Amendment activities.' CBP had been mum about the issue for days, even though open-source reporting on social media had already presented compelling evidence of the drones' orbits. On June 9, user @Aeroscout on X posted air traffic control (ATC) audio stating that two 'Q-9s' – call signs TROY 703 and TROY 701, had passed each other in airspace over Yuma, Arizona, as one was replacing the other over Los Angeles. @Aeroscout had previously posted ATC audio of TROY 701 checking in on Los Angeles Center Sector 09. A short time later, Alaska Flight 1020 was given a traffic advisory for 'drone traffic.' I've confirmed that the two targets operating in hexagonal surveillance orbits over DTLA these past 36 hours are both MQ-9s, callsigns TROY701 and 703As 703 replaced 701, they passed each other in the airspace near Yuma, AZ where I found this needle in the haystack! Listen — Aeroscout (@aeroscouting) June 9, 2025 "TROY701"Department of Homeland Security MQ-9 over Los Angeles this evening. It's been operational for over 9 hours now. Heard working 128.600 Los Angeles Center, Sector 09 at 16:45z, 8 June 2025 — Aeroscout (@aeroscouting) June 9, 2025 While there has not yet been any explicit identification of the 'Q-9s' as Customs and Border Protection (CPB) Predator Bs, TROY is a known Department of Homeland Security (DHS) callsign. TROY 314, a CBP Multi-Role Enforcement Aircraft (MEA) based on the Beechcraft King Air 350ER twin-engine turboprop, and a CBP Black Hawk helicopter using the callsign TROY 212, were also tracked over Los Angeles this weekend. Homeland Security ISR bird running ovals over #Paramount earlier; now over Los Angeles proper. TROY314 is Beechcraft Scorpion N251J # — Evergreen Intel (@vcdgf555) June 7, 2025 One high flier conducting intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance over the riots/protests in downtown LA at 2326z in support of the Dept. of Homeland Security. TROY212 is a DHS/CBP H-60 Blackhawk that some have reported flying low in the area. The remaining appear to be… — TheIntelFrog (@TheIntelFrog) June 8, 2025 Furthermore, plane trackers using online software first began noticing aircraft flying hexagonal patterns over Los Angeles on Sunday. Though not always the case, this is indicative of CBP Predator B surveillance patterns observed in the past. This includes the use of one of the CBP Q-9s over Minneapolis back in 2020. Hexagons aren't always MQ-9s, but in this case, yes, there are two MQ-9 Reapers over LA today. Just ridiculous. — John Wiseman (@lemonodor) June 9, 2025 NOW: @CBP Predator Drone #CPB104 circling over Minneapolis at 20K feet. Took off from Grand Forks Air Force Base. #Minneapolisprotests #surveillance #planespotting — Jason Paladino (@jason_paladino) May 29, 2020 CBP has MQ-9s at three locations: the National Air Security Operations Centers in Sierra Vista, Arizona, located on Fort Huachuca, San Angelo in Texas, and Grand Forks in North Dakota. What specific version or versions of the Predator B CBP have been flying over Los Angeles is unclear. The TROY 701 callsign was tied to a particular tail number, CBP-113, back in April, but it is not clear if that same drone has been using the callsign in the past few days. CBP-113 is what CBP has referred to in the past as a Guardian Maritime Mission version of the Q-9, which features a Raytheon SeaVue multi-mode radar under the central fuselage, which features surface search and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery modes. SAR images are highly detailed maps of the surface below, which can be produced day or night, despite any cloud cover, smoke, or dust. Guardian Maritime Mission drones also have electro-optical and infrared full-motion video cameras in a turret under the nose, as well as data links capable of sending imagery and radar tracks back to control stations on the ground in near real-time. CBP's Predator B fleet, which consists of around eight drones, includes at least two other versions. There are baseline types that feature the same sensor turret as the Guardian Maritime Mission versions, but with a smaller Lynx SAR-capable radar rather than the more powerful SeaVue. It is also worth noting here that these drones, as well as CBP Predator B in general, are sometimes confusingly referred to as Predator Bs. This is a holdover from manufacturer General Atomics' original nomenclature for the drone, which evolved from the iconic MQ-1 Predator A. One of these Predator Bs was identified as the type that flew over Minneapolis in 2020. CBP also has a variant that blend features of the other two types. All CBP Predeator Bs are unarmed, but can carry additional podded sensors under their wings. The drones are part of a much larger response to the ongoing unrest, as protesters clashed with law enforcement who appeared to use tear gas and fired non-lethal rounds toward some groups of demonstrators. Some rioters pelted the LA police with rocks. BREAKING | Sixth Day of ICE ProtestsDemonstrators have once again taken to the streets after days of unrest in the city. Stay updated and #ProtectTheWorld with Citizen. — Citizen Los Angeles (@CitizenAppLA) June 11, 2025 In LA, riot police shot an Australian journalist with a rubber bullet, apparently without provocation, as she was reporting from the scene. — Pekka Kallioniemi (@P_Kallioniemi) June 9, 2025 New video of LA rock thrower at Paramount, CA riot from @ABC7 helicopter & crew. Creating barricade & walking around fire — NOVA Campaigns (@NoVA_Campaigns) June 10, 2025 Rioter in LA throws a rock at a police officer's head. — The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 9, 2025 Responding to President Donald Trump's directives, U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) on Monday said it was activating a Marine infantry battalion that was placed in an alert status over the weekend. 'Approximately 700 Marines with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division will seamlessly integrate with the Title 10 forces under Task Force 51 who are protecting federal personnel and federal property in the greater Los Angeles area,' the command said in a statement. The activation of the Marines 'is intended to provide Task Force 51 with adequate numbers of forces to provide continuous coverage of the area in support of the lead federal agency,' the statement continued. Task Force 51 'is U.S. Army North's Contingency Command Post, which provides a rapidly deployable capability to partner with civil authorities and DoD entities in response to Homeland Defense and Homeland Security Operations. It is commanded by Maj. Gen. Scott M. Sherman. ' Task Force 51 is comprised of approximately 2,100 National Guard soldiers in a Title 10 status and 700 active-duty Marines. 'Task Force 51 forces have been trained in de-escalation, crowd control, and standing rules for the use of force,' NORTHCOM explained. PRESS RELEASE: Approximately 700 Marines with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division will seamlessly integrate with the Title 10 forces under Task Force 51 in the Los Angeles Area. @DODResponse @1stMEF @DeptofDefense @USArmyNorth Read more: — U.S. Northern Command (@USNorthernCmd) June 9, 2025 The activation of Marines follows a directive Trump issued Saturday, invoking a legal provision allowing him to deploy federal service members when there is 'a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.' He said he had authorized the deployment of 2,000 members of the National Guard, The Associated Press reported. CNN reported that as of Wednesday, the 700 Marines mobilized by the Pentagon had not yet been sent to Los Angeles and are still training, according to Sherman. 'Meanwhile, approximately 2,000 National Guard troops are currently on active duty and helping ICE agents during demonstrations, Sherman said,' according to the network. 'An additional 2,000 Guard members will be ready for duty Thursday afternoon, Sherman added.' Live updates: Marines on standby outside LA as protests pop up across the US. National Guard troops have temporarily detained civilians in LA protests, commander saysLA protests against Trump ICE raids, curfew starts, Chicago demonstrations | CNNhttps:// — Tony MacIntyre (@Tony_MacIntyre) June 11, 2025 California Gov. Gavin Newsom has decried Trump's response, as you can see in the following video posted by CBS News. There is precedent for the use of these unarmed surveillance assets to watch over large demonstrations. As we reported at the time, and noted earlier in this piece, a Predator B orbited around Minneapolis, Minnesota in May 2020 as the city saw increasingly violent protests in response to the killing of resident George Floyd while he was being arrested by members of the Minneapolis Police Department. The use of persistent aerial surveillance for law enforcement purposes has long been a controversial topic. Civil liberties advocates say these and other mass surveillance activities violate rights to personal privacy and undermine constitutional protections against unlawful searches. On Wednesday, CBP attempted to address those concerns. 'AMO does not possess or use facial recognition technology on any of its aircraft,' the agency said. 'AMO does not own or have access to any facial recognition algorithms or software.' In addition, 'on-board cameras cannot provide enough resolution or detail to identify a person (that is to discern physical characteristics such as height, weight, eye color, hairstyle, or a facial image), or to discern a vehicle license plate number,' CBP further explained. 'These cameras can be used to discern rough details such as clothing color, the presence of a backpack, or in some cases whether an individual is carrying an unconcealed weapon that may pose a threat.' Still, the use of these drones over areas of civil unrest is almost certain to further fuel that debate. With protests against the Trump administration's immigration actions spreading to other cities, we will likely see the use of these and other aerial surveillance assets employed elsewhere, as well. Contact the author: howard@
Roya News
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
Houthis shot down at least 7 multi-million-dollar US drones over 6 weeks: Report
Houthi forces in Yemen have shot down at least seven multi-million-dollar US drones, over the past six weeks, hindering US military operations in the region, CNN reported, citing multiple US officials. The loss of the high-value drones, including MQ-9 Reapers, has prevented US forces from establishing air superiority over Yemen within the intended 30-day timeframe, officials told CNN. The setback has delayed Washington's efforts to move into the next phase of its military campaign. In the same period, Houthi forces have launched 77 one-way attack drones, 30 cruise missiles, 24 medium-range ballistic missiles, and 23 surface-to-air missiles targeting US forces, the Red Sea, and 'Israel', according to US officials. The financial burden of the campaign continues to climb, with costs reaching nearly USD 1 billion in just the first three weeks, CNN said. Despite the growing expense, US forces have carried out daily airstrikes against Houthi targets for over a month. Since March 15, the U.S. has conducted more than 1,200 airstrikes across Yemen. Houthi sources report that these strikes have killed more than 217 civilians and injured over 430, mostly women and children, excluding casualties among their fighters. Last month, President Donald Trump ordered a "decisive and powerful military action" against the Houthis, threatening to "completely annihilate" the group. The Houthis began attacking vessels in regional waterways in November 2023, declaring support for Palestinians in Gaza, where nearly 51,500 people have been killed in 'Israeli' attacks. Although the group briefly paused operations during a January ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, they resumed strikes after 'Israel' renewed its military campaign on Gaza last month.
Yemen Online
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Yemen Online
Yemen Bombing Campaign Achieves Limited Success, Could Soon Cost $1 Billion
The cost of President Donald Trump's bombing campaign in Yemen against the Ansar Allah militant group, commonly known as the Houthis, could reach well over $1 billion in taxpayer money by next week, the New York Times reports. The strikes began in mid-March after the group threatened to resume attacks in the Red Sea, and the U.S. military has already expended $200 million of munitions alone, in addition to other operational costs. According to the Times, the Pentagon briefed Congress that despite the price tag, the campaign has achieved only limited success in destroying the Houthis' munitions, which the group stores in underground bunkers. The campaign, dubbed "Operation Rough Rider" by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, may continue for up to six months, and the Pentagon may soon need to ask Congress for additional funds. Some Pentagon planners worry that the operation is depleting U.S. stockpiles needed to deter China from invading Taiwan. Since the campaign began, the Houthis have shot down several U.S. military drones, including three MQ-9 Reapers, which cost an estimated $30 million each. The U.S. had 230 of these drones in its stockpile as of December 2024.
