French fly 3 Reaper UAVs in Niger (along with US UAVs)

Third French Reaper UAV deploys to Niger | defenceWeb

The French Air Force received its third Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), on 7 May, which was then deployed directly to Niamey in Niger with France’s Barkhane Force.

The French Air Force said the third Reaper supplements the existing French drone squadron, composed of two Harfang UAVs and two Reaper UAVs, operated by the 1/33 “Belfort” drone squadron stationed in Cognac.



Since their arrival in theatre, the Reapers have logged more than 4,000 flying hours. The MQ-9 Reaper arrived in the Sahel-Saharan theatre in December 2013 where they have demonstrated their usefulness and performance by achieving all operations and intelligence in support of the Barkhane Force, according to the French Air Force. Complementary to other air assets, the aircraft provides aerial overwatch for periods of up to nearly 24 hours.

The Reapers began flying from Mali in January 2014 and had accumulated 2 000 hours by the end of October that year.

Previously/Background

• Reaper Drones In Sahel Now Part of ISR Assets of French Armed Forces
  
  (Source: French Ministry of Defense; issued Jan 30, 2014)
  (Issued in French only; unofficial translation by Defense-Aerospace.com)
  
  A videoconference briefing from Niamey, Niger, by Lieutenant Colonel Christophe Fontaine, commander of the French air force’s 1/33 "Belfort" drone squadron, provided an opportunity for Paris-based correspondents to discuss the capability gains related to the arrival of two MQ- 9 Reaper drones, the latest ISR assets to enter service with the French armed forces.
  
  Faced with a growing operational requirement in the Sahel region, in parallel with the need to replace the four previous-generation Harfang MALE drones operated by the air force, the Ministry of Defense decided to buy two General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drones under the urgent operational requirement (UOR) procedures.
  
  
• Drone base in Niger gives U.S. a strategic foothold in West Africa - The Washington Post
  The U.S. military has deployed unarmed Predator drones and more than 100 troops to Niger, where they are spying on extremist groups in the region and assisting French forces in Mali. The U.S. drones operate from a Nigerien military base in the capital of Niamey. (Craig Whitlock/The Washington Post)
  The Predator drones in Niger, a landlocked and dirt-poor country, give the Pentagon a strategic foothold in West Africa. Niger shares a long border with Mali, where an al-Qaeda affiliate and other Islamist groups have taken root. Niger also borders Libya and Nigeria, which are also struggling to contain armed extremist movements.
  Like other U.S. drone bases, the Predator operations in Niger are shrouded in secrecy. The White House announced Feb. 22 that Obama had deployed about 100 military personnel to Niger on an “intelligence collection” mission, but it did not make any explicit reference to drones.
  
  
• US Reaper UAV crashes on landing at airport in Niamey | defenceWeb
  by Reuters/AFP, Tuesday, 21 October 2014 

An unarmed U.S. Reaper drone crashed on landing at the main airport in the capital of Niger on Monday, damaging the runway but causing no injuries, airport sources in Niger and the U.S. Air Force said.
Washington deployed unarmed surveillance drones in Niger after a French-led military operation in 2013 destroyed an al Qaeda enclave in neighbouring northern Mali.
Supported by some 120 U.S. military personnel, they operate from a base outside the capital Niamey, though the United States is considering moving the operation to Agadez, 750 km (460 miles) northeast of Niamey.
Two airport sources in Niger who declined to be identified said the drone crashed on its return from a surveillance mission. The private Anfani radio station said the crash occurred between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m.
An unarmed MQ-9 Reaper drone made a hard landing and damaged the runway at Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey causing no injuries, said a U.S. Air Force official.