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U.S. Pilots Bomb ISIS in Syria from Half a World Away

(Los Angeles Times) W.J. Hennigan - On July 18, a U.S.-backed militia in Raqqa, Syria, was pinned down and their commander requested a missile-firing Predator drone, controlled from half a world away, to take out the gunmen. The U.S. Air Force pilot studied the surveillance video and instructed the staff sergeant at his side to set the drone's target sights as he powered up a Hellfire missile under its wing. Seconds later a fireball swelled across the screen, with the airstrike delivered within 160 feet of the pinned-down troops from the Syrian Democratic Forces. U.S. drone pilots now routinely launch missiles at close distances to proxy ground forces fighting Islamic State in densely populated cities. The role of drones has expanded from targeted killings to include more airstrikes during combat and close support for advancing ground troops. A dozen Predator and Reaper drones hunt for targets in Raqqa each day, operated by pilots in Creech, Nevada, 45 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
2017-08-18 00:00:00
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