The Air Force has deployed several unarmed MQ-1 Predator remotely piloted aircraft, along with a group of operators and maintainers, to Haiti as part of its contribution to the international relief mission there. These assets will provide streaming overhead video imagery to support the relief efforts in the Caribbean nation, which was rocked by a major earthquake on Jan. 12. “[The team] will help save lives and help onsite commanders make real time decisions,” said MSgt. Johnny Blankenship, superintendant of the 849th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Holloman AFB, N.M. For the Haiti mission, this squadron, a Predator training unit, teamed with members of the 432nd Wing and 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Creech AFB, Nev., who operate Predators in combat in Southwest Asia. (Creech report by SSgt. Alice Moore) (Holloman report by A1C Sondra Escutia)
“Military history shows that the best defense is almost always a maneuvering offense supported by solid logistics. This was true for mechanized land warfare, air combat, and naval operations since World War II. It will also be true as the world veers closer to military conflict in space,” writes Aidan…