Texas welcomes Predator to 147RW
By Chief Master Sgt. Gonda Moncada
Texas National Guard
HOUSTON, Texas (11/10/09) -- The small aircraft might fit in a two-car garage albeit with some tinkering with the wings, but as unassuming as it looks one should never underestimate the Predator's accuracy and destructive power.
The MQ-1 Predator or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle can be operated by a pilot and sensor operator from anywhere in the world and is only 27 feet long. Its wing span is 55.25 and its height 6.9 feet. It is powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder snowmobile engine with 115 horsepower. It is armed with two AGM-114 Hellfire Missiles and equipped with cameras that can detect a heat signature from 25,000 feet with amazing clarity.
Once in its crosshairs, there is no escape. The last thing the enemy may hear is the missile's sonic boom on its inbound trajectory.
As officials at Ellington Field "rolled out" the MQ-1 Predator the Wing Commander, Col. Ken Wisian, took the stage and spoke passionately about the 147th Reconnaissance Wing's exciting new mission:
"Today marks a significant milestone for the Texas Military Forces, the Texas Air National Guard and the 147th Reconnaissance Wing. It is nice to have our new aircraft the MQ-1B Predator here on station, although having the aircraft here today is just one step of standing up our new mission. It is symbolic of the entry of the Texas Air National Guard into this new leading edge of what warfare is becoming.
"To put this in perspective, since the dawn of history stand-off distance, or how far do you have to be from somebody to hit them, has gone from arms length to spear and rock throwing range, to today when it is rifle, artillery and rocket range.
"Although there have been long-range weapons like ICBMs before. They were not life, in the sense that once they were launched that was it, there was no more change. Now, short of leaving the planet itself, we have maximized the stand-off distance.
"Right now we are flying live missions on the other side of the world in Afghanistan and Iraq and are doing it from right here, just about a quarter mile down the way, on our own base.
"Just think about that for a minute - right now from right here, we are flying combat missions in the war. Houston and Texas are in the fight every day. But it is not just the stand-off distance that has improved. This new class of weapons, I would say, is revolutionizing war fighting capabilities in other ways as well. This weapon with its unblinking eye flying over the battle field provides continuous live video feeds anywhere in the world - from the Pentagon to the guy on the ground - everybody sees the bad guy on the other side of the ridge simultaneously. For this reason alone the demand for combat air patrol (CAPs) orbits is virtually unlimited. As fast as people and equipment are coming out of the school house and off the production line, it is in the war.
"The second factor that is revolutionary is the precision strike that we bring. Not so much, the precision, because that has been around for a while, but the ability to hang around on the battle field for 20 hours or more at a time but still be ready in an instant. The bad guys know that this is always a possibility.
"By the way, the Predator is fairly quiet and rarely observed by the bad guys. This is old-school stealth. It is a small quiet high- flying aircraft, and for that reason, according to at least some published reports, is the weapon that is most feared today by the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
"Although we are getting our aircraft here on station just now, our crews and the maintenance support teams have been doing the mission for about two years from here and from Nevada. In that time we have roughly accumulated 20,000 hours of flying time in the combat zone, dozens of missile strikes and we participated in more than 200 combat actions and raids. As those statistics show, we primarily provide support to the guys on the ground.
"In the current war Remotely Piloted Vehicles (RPVs) are almost entirely tactical, but in the future that will change. Over the long-term the demand for these is likely to fluctuate dramatically. For that reason, and because we fly them in garrison, right here from home-station, that makes the Guard and the Reserves ideal Total Force Operators of this weapon system. Our ability to flex with part-time members or Traditional Guardsmen according to the needs of the Country and the State, makes us perfect for these missions.
"I get really excited when I talk about the possibilities and potentials at hand. We are at the same point, in my mind, in the development of RPVs as manned aircraft were in WWI flying in open-cockpit bi-planes. The improvements; the idea and the roles are changing and growing at a furious rate. I am confident that there are major roles and missions for this type of weapon system that we have not even thought of yet, that will eventually become routine.
"By the way, new ideas do not only apply to the combat environment. Think of the potential for domestic use, from aid to law Enforcement, to watching the border, or disaster response under the legal authority of the Governor or the President.
"We would like to provide that capability to the state of Texas and the country. Do you think Governor Rick Perry, the FEMA director or the President of the United States would like to have that live video of a disaster scene as opposed to having to rely on second-hand relayed phone information or, no offense, having to watch our friends in the media for their reports? We have the capability to provide direct information!
"Think of what it would do for search and rescue or damage assessment. It is not always easy to see when you are in the middle of change, how big it is. Most periods of what are called revolutions in military affairs are not always recognized as such at the time. Although it is quite tempting I will not say conclusively that RPVs by themselves constitute a revolution in military affairs, but what is certain, is that RPVs have changed the way the war is fought in a major way. In my opinion, it is on the level of inventing the telegraph or the radio - it is having that much impact in the way things are done.
"We are only beginning to see what will become a remote-controlled war much as the people in WWI had no concept of super-sonic aircraft or cruise missiles or how they would impact warfare.
"I mentioned revolution a couple of times and by the way, history is littered with countries that failed to adopt or adapt to the new ways of war. The United States is the world leader in yet another revolutionary way in the methods of war and we are in our superpower prime.
"Back to the technology - all this technology is exciting and glamorous and ground breaking but it was because of creative people thinking of potentials in using new technologies. We are just beginning to tap that potential. This unit is quickly becoming a fountain of new ideas.
"Our talent is leading the way in developing new tactics. Our people must and will make the difference. It is our people that are out in front and I am not talking just about the air crews. Everybody in the wing is responsible for this mission and deserves credit. This is a team effort we are all a part of. Having this ceremonial family day is appropriate, especially since the Air Force is celebrating the Year of the Family right now.
"I give my sincere thanks to the family members who are here today. You sacrificed a lot for your spouse, your mom, your dad to serve our country and our state. It is not forgotten and it is appreciated - Thank you!!
"The 147th Reconnaissance Wing, the Texas Air National Guard and the Texas Military Forces have a long history of being out front in combat history. With this new leading edge mission, and our outstanding people, I am confident we will add in a big way to history that is still to be written."
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