#1070 MQ-1B Predator & MQ-9A Reaper
Purchased products will not feature the Squadron Prints watermark
Description
Squadron Prints Lithograph No. 1070 - MQ-1B Predator, 07-3211, MQ-9A Reaper, 08-4036, 16th Training Squadron, Predator - Reaper Formal Training Unit, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico.
Established as the 3416th Technical Training Squadron on 1 April 1972 at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, this unit provided instruction in nuclear weapons programs and emergency response procedures to joint, allied, and civilian personnel until its inactivation on 1 October 1993. Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, beginning in 2001 and 2003 respectively, heralded a new era in combat aviation as remotely piloted aircraft, capable of streaming live video and providing close air support, became essential additions to the battlefield. By 2008, the wartime demand for such aircraft compelled Secretary of Defense Dr. Robert M. Gates to order the creation of a new formal training unit. Re-designated as the 16th Training Squadron, the unit reactivated on 23 October 2009 at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, with the new mission of providing formal academic and simulator instruction to pilots and sensor operators learning to fly MQ-1B Predator and MQ-9A Reaper remotely piloted aircraft. Operating in conjunction with formal flight training units, such as the 6th Reconnaissance Squadron and 29th Attack Squadron, the 16th ensures that trainees are well prepared to perform intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and close air support tasks in combat. Graduate crews from Air Combat Command, Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Force Reserve Command, the Air National Guard, the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force, and the Italian Air Force have served with distinction in Operations IRAQI FREEDOM, NEW DAWN, ENDURING FREEDOM and a multitude of other combat, homeland defense, and humanitarian endeavors. From nuclear warfare to remote combat aviation, the 16th Training Squadron stands ready to carry on its proud tradition of teaching Airmen how best to leverage technology to gain an advantage over the battlefield.