The Countries Acquiring MQ-9B SkyGuardian Drones

The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (including the SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian) is one of the most famous US military ISR and combat drones. The Reaper was developed from the earlier MQ-1 Predator and is related to the Army’s Gray Eagle. The Reaper is a very capable drone, but has proven vulnerable as many have been downed by the Houthi rebels in northern Yemen (it is likely most countries purchasing it, plan to use it for long-range patrol missions in air space that is not contested). Today, an increasing number of countries around the world are ordering the Reaper and these orders serve to highlight that vulnerable does not necessarily mean obsolete.