/ Modified sep 8, 2016 5:39 p.m.

More Drone Pilots May Come To Davis-Monthan

The Tucson-area base is on a short list for a new mission.

MQ-9 Reaper Ready for Takeoff - Spotlight An MQ-9 Reaper readies for takeoff at Holloman, AFB in New Mexico.
U.S. Air Force

The U.S. Air Force has announced Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson is a finalist to host pilots for the MQ-9 Reaper, an unmanned aircraft.

The drone mission is a good fit because it increases the number of missions at the Davis-Monthan without any aircraft noise or environmental impact, according to Col. Kent Laughbaum, a retired former commander at the base.

“The pilots actually sit in small buildings and fly the airplane, which is launched from a distant location,” said Laughbaum.

The Air Force National Guard already pilots some drones from Tucson.

The new mission could help ensure the base stays open in the face of anticipated future military installation closures.

Davis-Monthan contributes $1 billion a year to the area economy, according to recent studies.

Air Force officials said they expect to make the final decisions by the end of the year.

By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona