Reaper patrols Iraq sky
An MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft takes off July 17 from Joint Base Balad, Iraq. The Reaper can loiter over battlefields or targets for hours at a time without refueling and carries up to 3,750 pounds of laser-guided munitions, giving ground commanders unprecedented situational awareness and the ability to bring the right amount of force to bear on a target. The Reaper, deployed from Creech Air Force Base, Nev., flew its first combat mission over Iraq July 18. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Richard Lisum)