In terms of design and capabilities, they are cousins.Īnother cousin is the MQ-1C Sky Warrior, which weighs 1.5 tons, carries 300 pounds of sensors internally, and up to 500 pounds of sensors or weapons externally. The I-Gnat ER/ Sky Warrior Alpha looks like a Predator, but isn't. Sky Warrior Alpha is, officially, the I-Gnat ER, which is based on a predecessor design of the Predator, the Gnat-750, and an improved model, the I-Gnat (which has been in use since 1989). The one ton Sky Warrior Alpha can carry 450 pounds of sensors and 300 pounds of weapons, including Hellfire missiles. These UAVs were sent to Iraq, and spent most of their time doing counter-IED work with Task Force Odin. Three years ago, the army quietly bought twenty Predator type UAVs (called Sky Warrior Alpha) from the same firm that manufactures the Predator and Sky Warrior. The Predator is not the first larger, missile firing, UAV the army has used. While the Predators perform more strategic missions, the Sky Warrior is all about supporting a specific brigade, and taking orders from the commander of that brigade. The big difference is that Sky Warrior can carry weapons (like Hellfire missiles), and can stay in the air for much longer. The MQ-1Cs are slightly larger Predators, and are being used for missions formerly performed by Shadow 200, and other large army UAVs. Army (which paid for development) wants over 500 initially. Sky Warrior began mass production last year, and the U.S. Air Force Predator, but is being used in a somewhat different fashion. Later this year, some Sky Warriors will go to Afghanistan, and next year, aviation brigades (each of which supports two or more combat brigades) will receive a detachment of 2-3 Sky Warriors. Iraqi is still an active enough combat zone for the Sky Warrior to find useful work, in a sometimes hostile environment. The first flight in a combat zone, lasting 10.5 hours, was last April 18th. Army received its first Sky Warrior MQ-1C UAVs about a year ago, and since last April, several of these aircraft have been operating around Baghdad.
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