Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Unmanned Aircraft Training, Staffing Challenge U.S. Air Force
The service is taking steps to relieve the strain on its remotely piloted aircraft force, but faces difficulty maintaining operations tempo.
An MQ-9 Reaper pilot with 432nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron controls aircraft from Creech Air Force Base. (Photo: U.S. Air Force)
An MQ-9 Reaper pilot with 432nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron controls aircraft from Creech Air Force Base. (Photo: U.S. Air Force)

The U.S. Air Force is taking steps to relieve and retain the airmen who operate its MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-1 Predator remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), but the strain on the force remains acute, the commander of the Air Combat Command (ACC) said on March 16. The Army has less of a problem manning its RQ-7B Shadow and MQ-1C Gray Eagle platforms, but faces a training shortfall, said the commander of the Training and Doctrine Command (Tradoc).