The U.S. Air Force has reactivated a World War II-era fighter squadron, redesignating it as an MQ-9 Reaper drone unit permanently stationed at Kunsan Air Base in South Korea.
The 431st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, activated Sunday under the command of Lt. Col. Douglas Slater, will serve as a tenant unit of the 8th Fighter Wing, known as “the Wolf Pack,” the service announced in a press release.
The MQ-9, a turboprop-powered drone with a range of more than 1,600 miles (2,575 kilometers), can conduct 24-hour missions and carry AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and GBU-54 laser-guided bombs.
From Kunsan, it can reach the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, and eastern China.
“Deploying the MQ-9 brings a powerful capability to the region,” Slater said in a statement. “We’re here to support the mission, deepen cooperation and demonstrate our shared commitment to maintaining security and stability across the Indo-Pacific.”
Originally formed in 1943, the 431st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron unit flew combat missions in the Pacific during World War II before being inactivated in 1992. Capt. Ryan Jayawardena, the new squadron’s director of operations, said its revival underscores “the strength of an alliance ready for today’s challenges.”
The reactivation of the unit comes as Washington bolsters its air presence in South Korea, marked by the transfer of F-16s to Osan Air Base near the North Korean border. Pentagon photos released last week also confirmed the deployment of the Indirect Fire Protection Capability system to South Korea, the first time the mobile air defense weapon has been stationed outside the United States.
The Air Force has not disclosed how many Reapers will be based at Kunsan.
Trump was using sarcasm to describe the state of our cities. Why do you the media want to agitate and divide the american people even more! Trump is not perfect nor are you. But it seems to me he’s at least trying to help our country stay a float. The negative propaganda being shoved in our faces is unbelievable and absurd. This country will falter if we don’t change our ways. We can only blame ourselves if that happens. Its not just some of our cities thats are suffering, but society as a whole.