10 Things To Know About The U.S $30m MQ-9 Reaper Drones Deployed To Combat Terrorism In Nigeria

10 things to know about the U.S $30 million MQ-9 Reaper drones deployed to combat terrorism in Nigeria as compiled by Autojosh. 

Multiple MQ-9 Reaper drones operated by the United States as well as 200 U.S troops have been deployed to Nigeria to support intelligence gathering and training for Nigerian forces combating Islamist militants across the north.

While known for its capabilities to attack time-sensitive targets with precision, the Reaper drones deployed to Nigeria will be used to collect intelligence and not carry out airstrikes, officials from the two countries told Reuters

“Our U.S. partners remain in a strictly non-combat role, enabling operations led by Nigerian authorities,” Major General Samaila Uba, director of defence information at Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, told Reuters.

“This support builds on the newly established U.S.-Nigeria intelligence fusion cell, which continues to deliver actionable intelligence to our ‌field commanders,” ⁠he told Reuters.

Here are 10 things to know about the MQ-9 Reaper drones deployed to Nigeria as compiled by Autojosh. 

1. The MQ-9 Reaper is a multi-mission, medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or drone primarily designed to attack time-sensitive targets with persistence and precision.

2. Also called Predator B, MQ-9 Reaper is developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems primarily for the United States Air Force (USAF). It became operational in 2007.

3. The “M” in the name is US Department of Defense’s designation for multi-role, “Q” for remotely piloted aircraft system while the “9” indicates it is the ninth in the series of remotely piloted aircraft systems.

4. Reaper has has a wingspan of 66 ft (20 m) feet, a range of 1,150 miles (1,850 km) and the ability to fly at altitudes of 50,000 feet. It  has a cruising speed of 150–170 knots (170–200 mph or 280–310 km/h).

5. The near-silent 4,900-pound drone is operated remotely by a pilot, a sensor operator and a Mission Intelligence Coordinator.

6. It can also conduct surveillance, assist in search and rescue missions. The drone also allows US forces to conduct irregular warfare operations.

7. MQ-9 has an endurance of 30 hours when conducting Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions. It decreases to 23 hours if it is carrying a full weapons load.

8. As of May 2021, the U.S Air Force (USAF) had operated over 300 MQ-9 Reaper drones – each having a unit price $30 million and up to over $50 million, including ground control station, according to reports.

9. As of 2026, 575 MQ-9s have been built. It is operated by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Customs, NASA, the Royal Air Force, the Italian Air Force, the French Air Force and the Spanish Air Force.

10. The U.S has lost 15 of these near-silent drones to the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels since the start of the Gaza war in 2023 and the fifth since U.S. Central Command began daily airstrikes on the Houthis on 15 March 2026.

• See Also : U.S Using $4M Interceptor To Stop Iran’s $50k Attack Drone, Likened To Using Lamborghini To Stop A Bicycle