The MQ-9 Reaper is a General Atomics medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft built for persistent intelligence collection and precision strike. Larger and more powerful than the MQ-1 Predator, it combines satellite control, electro-optical and infrared sensors, laser designation, and weapons such as Hellfire missiles and guided bombs, making it a recurring U.S. and coalition platform in counterterrorism, maritime-security, and regional-strike operations.
U.S. Air Force MQ-9s operated from Kandahar Airfield in 2018 for deliberate strikes, close air support, and aerial reconnaissance during the post-2015 Afghanistan mission.
MQ-9 Reaper aircrews were heavily integrated into the 2017 Raqqah operation, providing close air support, tactical reconnaissance, overwatch, buddy lasing, and precision strikes against ISIS.
MQ-9 Reaper aircrews supported the Libyan Government of National Accord and coalition partners during the August-December 2016 campaign to remove ISIS from Sirte.
U.S. Central Command reported that a U.S. MQ-9 was shot down over Yemen on June 6, 2019 by a Houthi SA-6 surface-to-air missile assessed as enabled by Iranian assistance.
A U.S. MQ-9 Reaper was confirmed shot down by Houthi forces off Yemen over the Red Sea on November 8, 2023, during the opening phase of the Red Sea shipping crisis.
An American MQ-9 Reaper was reported as the drone that fired missiles into the Baghdad airport convoy killed Qassem Soleimani on January 3, 2020.
F-15E Strike EagleDual-role strike fighterThe F-15E Strike Eagle is a two-seat U.S. Air Force dual-role fighter built for long-range interdiction, precision attack, and self-escorted air-to-air combat. Its conformal fuel tanks, targeting/navigation pods, radar, and two-person cockpit allow it to strike ground targets day or night while retaining fighter performance, a role documented in Operation Inherent Resolve and later U.S.-Iran combat operations.
F-35C Lightning IICarrier-based stealth multirole fighterThe F-35C Lightning II is the carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, built for catapult launches and arrested landings with larger wings, folding wingtips, strengthened landing gear, internal fuel for long-range carrier operations, and a sensor suite intended for strike, air-to-air, reconnaissance, and electronic-warfare missions. U.S. Marine Corps F-35Cs made the variant's first documented combat strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in 2024, and an F-35C was later reported shooting down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone near USS Abraham Lincoln in 2026.
Shahed-136Long-range one-way attack UAVThe Shahed-136 is an Iranian-designed long-range one-way attack UAV, also fielded by Russia as the Geran-2 and by the Houthis as the Waid-2. Its low-cost airframe, GNSS-guided point-target flight profile, and mass-launch tactics have made it a prominent saturation-strike weapon in Ukraine, the Red Sea, and Iran-linked regional conflicts.
PunisherReusable strike and reconnaissance UAVThe Punisher is a Ukrainian reusable fixed-wing strike UAV from UA Dynamics, designed for small-unit reconnaissance and precision bomb drops behind enemy lines. In the Russia-Ukraine War it has been fielded by Ukrainian defense units as a compact catapult-launched system carrying modular explosive containers for attacks on command posts, electronic-warfare equipment, ammunition sites, and other rear-area targets.
WarmateLoitering munitionWarmate is a Polish electric loitering munition from WB Electronics/WB Group, designed as a portable reconnaissance-strike system with interchangeable warheads, autonomous flight modes, and video-guided terminal attack. In the Russia-Ukraine War it has been documented in Ukrainian service for precision attacks on Russian air-defense and surveillance radars..jpg?width=480)
Arash-2Long-range one-way attack UAV / loitering munitionThe Arash-2 is an Iranian long-range one-way attack UAV, also described as a loitering munition or suicide drone, associated with the Islamic Republic of Iran Army Ground Forces. Open sources describe it as a larger Arash/Kian-family strike system with rocket-assisted launch, reported passive-radar or seeker options, and claimed ranges up to about 2,000 km for attacks on fixed or emitting targets.