MQ-1 PREDATOR

The MQ-1 / RQ-1 Predator is a modern American combat drone, i.e. an unmanned aerial vehicle (UCAV), which took place in 1994 and entered service in 1995. The propulsion is provided by a single engine Rota 914F with 115 hp. The length of the machine is 8.22 meters with a wingspan of 14.8 meters. The maximum speed reaches approx. 220 km / h, and the flight duration is estimated at 24 hours. The MQ-1 / RQ-1 Predator was designed and is currently manufactured by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. The MQ-1 drone was created as a result of a program initiated by the American armed forces, aiming at obtaining an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of long-distance reconnaissance and characterized by a relatively high flight duration. Over time, the MQ-1 Predator was able to carry two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles or other types of weapons. There were basically two main versions of the Predator: RQ-1 (reconnaissance, unarmed version) and MQ-1 (armed version). On the basis of the latter version, the MQ-9 Reaper drone was also developed, which is a very far-reaching modernization of it. The MQ-1 / RQ-1 Predator drone was used, among others, during the fighting in Afghanistan (from 2001), during the Second World War in Iraq (2003) or during the civil war in Syria (from 2014).