This marked the second straight year the unmanned aerial vehicle has flown to the base, the Air National Guard said.
The exercise, called “Advanced Wrath,” is meant to “enhance the operational capabilities of the MQ-9 Reaper while supporting a variety of joint operations with other agencies,” the Guard said.
Those other agencies include Coast Guard search-and-rescue teams and U.S. Special Operations Command forces.
The exercise also features training with personnel from the Air Force Research Laboratory — based at nearby Wright-Patterson Air Force Base — the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Ohio Department of Transportation.
“The purpose of Advanced Wrath is to prove the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment concept,” said Air Force 1st Lt. Benjamin Retherford. “It allows us to test the MQ-9’s capabilities in a variety of mission sets and demonstrate how it can work alongside multiple agencies.”
The exercise also drew Air National Guard members from the 178th Wing based in Springfield, and units from New York and Mississippi.
“This is our wing’s push to hopefully get the MQ-9 Reaper back here in Springfield,” Retherford said. “That’s the big push, is to have some sort of stateside mission in coordination with the research labs on Wright Patterson Air Force Base.”
“We’re in a unique position to support both national defense operations and cutting-edge research, which is why Springfield is a critical location for these kinds of exercises,” he added.
Lt. Col. Zachary Eaton, 178th Operations Support Squadron commander, said the base’s proximity to Wright-Patterson makes it an ideal location for research and testing.
“It’s important that we operate out of Springfield because it demonstrates our ability to support domestic operations,” Eaton said.
Worth about $30 million each, the MQ-9 Reaper cuts a familiar silhouette and is a formidable figure that has remained in the news reliably since its introduction in 2007. They can be used for high-altitude surveillance and hunter-killer roles.
In recent years, leaders of Ukraine have asked for the weapon in their defensive fight against the Russian invasion.
It’s not the drone’s first visit to Springfield. About a year ago, a MQ-9 touched down at the airport, marking the first time the 178th Wing has housed the aircraft.
The Guard said this year’s exercise is scheduled to feature the first live munition drop from the MQ-9 Reaper at the Jefferson Proving Ground in southeast Indiana.
The test is to involve two GBU 12 inert munitions — 500-pound bombs.
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