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KABUL, Afghanistan - The large British contingent in Afghanistan relies on unmanned air vehicles to engage ground targets. The British Royal Air Force (RAF) fired 84 missiles from Reaper UAVs since their deployment to Afghanistan in June 2008. More than 20 missiles were fired over the past two months. The number of Reaper UAVs operated by the RAF is unknown. The RAF says the number on duty in Afghanistan will double over the next two years.
The RAF's Reaper UAVs operate from a base in Kandahar. Still, these UAVs are controlled by RAF personnel based at the U.S. Air Force's Creech air base in Nevada. The Reaper UAVs carry guided bombs and HELLFIRE missiles. The British Ministry of Defence purchased an initial batch of six Reaper UAVs, built by General Atomics, at a cost GBP6 million. One UAV was lost in Afghanistan during 2008.
Unmanned aerial vehicles do suffer from failures and can require about 100 personnel to ensure they function properly.
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