The CIA’s Sky Assassin: Inside the MQ-9 Reaper’s Secret Missions
The U.S. military and the CIA have been in the drone game for a long time, and now in the 21st century, drone warfare is practically a given. If there’s a conflict brewing in the Middle East or beyond, you can bet there’s a drone in the sky keeping tabs on it. And leading the pack in this high-stakes game is the MQ-9 Reaper, a name that strikes fear into enemies and admiration into those who know its capabilities.
The Reaper is fast — 230 mph fast — and it’s got a lot in common with its predecessor, the MQ-1 Predator. Both are built by General Atomics, and they use the same ground control systems, making the Reaper’s introduction back in 2007 a smooth transition. But don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s just another drone. Reapers are the best in the business, though they come with a hefty price tag. Back in 2011, a single unit cost Uncle Sam a cool $56.5 million.
That price covers the whole package — four aircraft loaded with sensor packages, a ground control station, and a link to the Predator Primary satellite. Since they hit the skies, over 300 MQ-9s have been built, and they’ve pulled double duty for both the U.S. military and the CIA in everything from combat air support (CAS) to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), and even combat search and rescue (CSAR).
These drones are versatile, capable, and, most importantly, they keep the people operating them out of harm’s way — perfect for covert ops around the globe.
The CIA, always operating in the shadows, has made good use of the MQ-9 Reaper for missions that never see the light of day. When U.S. military boots aren’t on the ground, the CIA sends in the Reapers. These drones have taken out high-value targets in places where even the military can’t go. Remember when al-Qaeda’s second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, got taken out in Kabul in 2022? That was the Reaper, doing what it does best — removing threats without anyone ever knowing it was there until it was too late.
The Reaper might look a lot like the Predator, but it’s a whole lot bigger and packs more of a punch. With a wingspan of 66 feet, a length of 36 feet, and standing at 12.5 feet high, it’s no small fry. It carries a whopping 602 gallons of fuel, and its maximum takeoff weight is 10,500 pounds, which means it can haul a serious load — 3,750 pounds of payload, to be exact. And it cruises at a solid 230 mph, making it both lethal and efficient.
This was exactly what Corey Pearson and his CIA team needed in the Mission of Vengeance spy thriller novel when they were hunting down a Hezbollah suicide bomber on Cat Island. The stakes couldn’t have been higher — an Organization of American States (OAS) meeting was set to take place, with leaders from major Caribbean nations in attendance. If that bomber succeeded, the fallout would be catastrophic.
As Corey and his team navigated the dense underbrush of Cat Island, high above them, a MQ-9 Reaper drone was silently circling at 50,000 feet. This wasn’t just any surveillance drone — it was the original hunter-killer. General Morrison, the Director of the CIA’s Caribbean mission, had made it clear that if things went south, none of the terrorists were getting off the island alive.
“If they hop on a boat, we’ll blow them out of the water,” Morrison had said, his voice as cold as the steel of the drone’s Hellfire missiles. Corey Pearson had asked, “With a surveillance drone?” But Morrison had just smiled. “That’s just a ploy. It’s a MQ-9 Reaper, the original hunter-killer. It’ll be out of sight, flying at 50,000 feet, with two Hellfire missiles under its wings.”
The Reaper wasn’t just for show. It had the power to turn the tide of the mission, ensuring that the suicide bomber’s handlers, and anyone else involved, wouldn’t escape by boat — or by any other means. Corey and his CIA team closed in on their targets, knowing the Reaper was above them, loaded and ready. It was both a comfort and a grim reminder of the lethal power they had at their disposal.
This deadly combination of surveillance and strike capability makes the Reaper the perfect tool for missions where failure wasn’t an option. Whether it’s tracking a lone bomber on a remote island in a fictional spy novel or taking out high-value targets in hostile territory, the MQ-9 Reaper is always ready, always waiting, and always lethal.
With a range of 1,150 miles and the ability to fly at 50,000 feet, the Reaper can loiter over a target for hours — up to 27 hours, in fact. That’s plenty of time to do the job, whether it’s providing air support or something a little more delicate. And when it comes to firepower, the Reaper’s no slouch. It can carry a mix of munitions, including AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs, GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions, and more. This arsenal makes it the ultimate hunter-killer.
Here’s a real-life example of the MQ-9 Reaper’s hunter-killer capabilities, where the CIA showed just how lethal this drone can be. It was January 2020, and the target was none other than Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, a major player in Iran’s military and the mastermind behind countless operations across the Middle East.
Now, here’s the kicker — many within the CIA didn’t want to take Soleimani out. They knew the risks, the potential fallout. But their concerns were ignored, and the decision was made to go ahead with the strike. Working hand-in-hand with the U.S. military, the CIA pulled the trigger, setting the Reaper on its deadly mission.
Soleimani had just touched down at Baghdad International Airport, probably thinking he was untouchable. But little did he know, way up in the sky, an MQ-9 Reaper had him in its sights, locked and loaded with Hellfire missiles. As soon as his convoy rolled out of the airport, the Reaper struck with brutal precision, leaving nothing but a smoking pile of wreckage and taking out one of Iran’s most powerful figures in the blink of an eye.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because there’s a striking similarity to what went down on Cat Island in Mission of Vengeance. Corey Pearson and his CIA team had their own Reaper hovering above, just waiting to unleash hell if the Hezbollah suicide bomber’s handlers tried to escape by boat. Same deal — unseen, deadly, and always ready to strike when the moment was right.
Since it first hit the skies in 2007, the MQ-9 Reaper has been the CIA’s go-to workhorse, proving itself time and time again. But even the best tools have their limits. The Reaper isn’t exactly a speed demon, maxing out at 230 mph, which can be a bit of a drawback.
But, for the CIA, speed isn’t everything. What the Reaper lacks in velocity, it more than makes up for in stealth and endurance. It can stay up there, undetected, for hours on end, making it the perfect choice for those high-stakes, high-value missions where patience and precision are key. See CIA Degrades Terrorists with Drones.
But like all good things, the MQ-9 Reaper’s time is coming to an end. The USAF — and probably the CIA too — has plans to retire this workhorse. But don’t start saying your goodbyes just yet. The Reaper’s got until 2035 before it’s fully phased out, so there’s still plenty of time to see it in action.
True, the Reaper hasn’t exactly flown under the radar when it comes to controversy. It’s stirred up plenty, especially when it comes to the ethics of drone warfare. Critics argue about civilian casualties and the shadowy nature of its missions. But here’s the flip side — this drone has also taken out a lot of terrorists who had their sights set on harming Americans. It’s been a relentless defender, eliminating threats before they could materialize.
Interestingly, General Atomics is already working on the Reaper’s successor, the MQ-Next. This new drone is shaping up to be a game-changer — likely a hybrid-electric UAS with a sleek flying-wing design. Expect it to have more stealth, longer endurance, and even more firepower. But until that day arrives, the Reaper is still out there, flying missions for the U.S. military and the CIA, doing what it does best — getting the job done, no matter the cost.
Robert Morton is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and authors the ‘Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster’ series. Check out his latest spy thriller, ‘Mission of Vengeance’.