LONDON, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- The British Ministry of Defense announced its Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle program has successfully begun surveillance operations in Afghanistan.
The Royal Air Force Reaper UAV program is an effort to provide troops with 24-hours-a-day, all-weather, intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance capability, the British Ministry of Defense reported.
"The introduction into service of Reaper is a major milestone for the RAF, which will significantly enhance the U.K.'s surveillance and reconnaissance capability in Afghanistan," Sir Glenn Torpy, British chief of the air staff, said in a statement.
The Reaper UAVs were purchased as a Ministry of Defense urgent operational requirement giving troops a better picture of activity on the ground. Fifteen months after the requirement the first of three British Reapers arrived in Afghanistan in October.
The RAF's is part of a Combined Predator Task Force with the United States. The U.S. Air Force's Predator A UAV program enabled for a seamless transition to the RAF's use of Reaper, the British version of Predator B.
"We're pleased to be able to deliver these aircraft so quickly because they're vital to the coalition's war effort in Afghanistan," U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael T Moseley said. "They're also yet another demonstration of the need for interoperability in our equipment. By partnering on the Reaper, our air forces can operate more seamlessly and field more aircraft faster and more economically."
