Reaper UAV shoots down other drone in first known unmanned air-to-air kill
A U.S. Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) shot down another drone with a missile, the Air Force revealed. The incident, which took place last year and involved an unmanned target drone, was the first case of a drone shooting down another aircraft. The event is a watershed moment in the history of aerial warfare, as the nation’s UAV force begins to muscle-in on air-to-air combat -- previously the exclusive domain of manned aircraft. The test showed the U.S. Air Force that a UAV like the MQ-9 has the ability to conduct air-to-air combat, much like its manned fighter brethren like the F-15 Eagle and F-22 Raptor jet fighters.
John Keller | Editor
John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.
