The US Air Force established a permanent drone unit at Kunsan Air Base in South Korea on Monday by reactivating the 431st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron. The squadron will operate MQ-9 Reaper drones capable of flying over 1,600 miles and remaining airborne indefinitely through aerial refueling. Lt Col Douglas Slater will command the unit stationed approximately 150 miles south of the demilitarized zone separating the Koreas.
The deployment strengthens American military presence after the recent repositioning of F-16 fighter jets closer to North Korean territory. The move follows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's appearance alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping at a Beijing military parade. The drones can carry weapons ranging from Hellfire missiles to laser-guided bombs for combat operations.
The squadron revives a World War II designation originally activated in 1943 as a P-38 Lightning fighter unit in Australia. The Air Force relocated 31 F-16s and 1,000 personnel from Kunsan to Osan Air Base by October to form a concentrated fighter presence. The Reapers will support intelligence and surveillance missions across the Indo-Pacific theater.
The deployment strengthens American military presence after the recent repositioning of F-16 fighter jets closer to North Korean territory. The move follows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's appearance alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping at a Beijing military parade. The drones can carry weapons ranging from Hellfire missiles to laser-guided bombs for combat operations.
The squadron revives a World War II designation originally activated in 1943 as a P-38 Lightning fighter unit in Australia. The Air Force relocated 31 F-16s and 1,000 personnel from Kunsan to Osan Air Base by October to form a concentrated fighter presence. The Reapers will support intelligence and surveillance missions across the Indo-Pacific theater.
