Home > National > Defense

U.S. Reaper UAV deployed at Gwangju air base

Published: 23 Aug. 2025, 09:54 Updated: 24 Aug. 2025, 14:36

U.S.' MQ-9A Reaper deployed at an air base in Gwangju on July 24 [DEFENSE VISUAL INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION SERVICE]

The MQ-9A Reaper, a U.S. advanced unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), was deployed at an air base in the southwestern city of Gwangju last month on a rotational basis, data showed Friday.

Images from the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, operated by the U.S. Department of Defense, showed the unmanned aircraft conducting training at the air base, some 265 kilometers (165 miles) south of Seoul, on July 22 and 24.

About 20 photos showing the Reaper during training, uploaded to the archive, carried captions saying that the arrival of the attack drone marked the "first time the Republic of Korea hosted the aircraft for an extended period."

The MQ-9A is designed for both surveillance and attack missions, and is capable of long-distance flight.

The new deployment came despite concerns that U.S. President Donald Trump's administration's plans to reorient overseas-based U.S. forces could affect U.S. Forces Korea troop levels.

The U.S. Army's new ATHENA-R ISR jet was deployed to the Korean Peninsula earlier this year, followed by F-35 fighter jets sent for training purposes.