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General Atomics MQ-1B Predator

The official US Air Force website  describes the Predator as ‘ an armed, multi-mission, medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft that is employed primarily as an intelligence-collection asset and secondarily against dynamic execution targets’ – that is,  for release of weapons.

As a multi-role platform, Predators can perform the following missions and tasks: intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, close air support, combat search and rescue, precision strike, convoy/raid overwatch, route clearance, target development, and terminal air guidance. 

The Predator is part of a remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS).  A fully operational system consists of four sensor/weapon-equipped aircraft, ground control station, Predator Primary Satellite Link, and spare equipment, along with operations and maintenance crews. 

The USAF MQ-1B Predator fleet was gradually withdrawn by 2018 in favour of the larger and updated MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).