Morocco Is The Only African Country That Boasts The ₦5.7 billion MQ-9 Reaper Drone That Killed Iranian Gen. Soleimani

Just like Morocco, Nigeria should also buy the ₦5.7 billion MQ-9 Reaper drone to fight the deadly Boko Haram.

Morocco is the only African country that boasts the ₦5.7 billion MQ-9 Reaper drone that the US used in killing Iran’s Major-General Qassem Soleimani.

The airstrikes from the MQ-9 Reaper, also known as Predator B or “Killer of the Heavens“, targeted the car ferrying the General with pinpoint accuracy as he was leaving Baghdad airport.

Instead of endangering the lives of its soldiers – the Nigerian soldiers do when facing the deadly Boko Haram, Morocco keeps spending billions to equip its already fearful arsenal.

The ability of the near-silent Reaper drone to fly for 30 hours when conducting ISR missions and 23 hours when carrying weapons makes it one of World’s most feared drones.

The General Atomics aircraft is monitored and controlled by aircrew in the Ground Control Station (GCS), including weapons employment.

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In addition to hunting down its targets, the hunter-killer UAV can also conduct surveillance, assist in search and rescue missions.

As of September 2016, the Air Force had 195 MQ-9 Reaper drones in its arsenal. The USAirforce plans to keep the MQ-9 in service into the 2030s.

Turkey, the UK, France, Spain, and the Netherlands also has fleets of the drone. India has also ordered 20 to bolster its military strength.

Each of these drones costs $15.9 million, or ₦5.7 billion. The laser-guided AGM-114 Hellfire Missile fired by the Reaper during the mission in Iraq cost USD117,000 (‎₦42.5 million) per unit.

In addition to owning the World’s most powerful drone, Morocco also has one of the deadliest flying jets ever.

Last year, Morocco became the second country to buy examples of Lockheed Martin’s most advanced F-16s jets. The North African country is also the first to purchase the Block 72 configuration specifically.

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