MQ-12A Sky Warrior-Alpha

The Warrior Alpha is the U.S. Army’s version of the Predator. The MQ-12 Warrior Alpha UAV is equipped with multiple sensors for day/night reconnaissance and surveillance. The Warrior Alpha can also be modified and armed with hellfire missiles.

In 2008 CJTF-101 supported operations in Afghanistan with powerful intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) assets. These resources, which included aerial signals intelligence (SIGINT) platforms that monitored radio and telephone communications and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that provided real time and full motion video (FMV) observation of terrain and events, were highly valuable and scarce. In RC-East, CJTF-101’s primary FMV assets were a single Predator UAV and one MQ-12 Warrior-Alpha UAV. The other Predator UAV under CJTF- 101’s control was permanently committed to Regional Command-South (RC-South). The UAVs with their full motion capabilities were powerful systems but could not be counted on to detect enemy fighters on all occasions. In fact, in the mountainous and forested terrain of northeastern Afghanistan, using UAVs to find small groups of insurgents was exceptionally difficult.

Predator and Warrior-Alpha were not the only UAV assets operating in RC-East. In fact, TF Bayonet deployed to Afghanistan with two types of organic UAV systems: the RQ-7 Shadow and RQ-11 Raven.

The Army UAS Modernization Product Office is committed to being the world leader in rapidly providing emerging UAS technologies to enhance the Warfighter's survivability and capability. UAS Modernization has been successful to date in providing deployed forces the best, most capable and versatile UAS including the Hunter, Sky Warrior Alpha, and Gray Eagle Block 0.

The Sky Warrior Alpha UAS was originally provided to the Army for the development of Tactics, Techniques and Procedures. The system is frequently called upon for its exceptional endurance, high-resolution optics, and its ability to fly at higher levels for surveillance. In vital combat, it has been armed with weapons and can be used as a quick response in the field.

To learn to fly the Warrior Alpha, the Army requires the pilot to obtain a stand-alone Military Occupational Skill (MOS). Obtaining proficiency in this MOS takes nearly one year per trainee with considerable follow-on training on system to be completed upon arrival at first duty location.