SMYRNA, Tenn. — The Tennessee Air National Guard’s 118th Wing made aviation history when it remotely piloted an MQ-9 Reaper drone from California to its home base in Smyrna — a milestone that continues to shape how the Guard trains and deploys today.
The mission, conducted as part of exercise Whiskey Fury, was built around the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment model — a framework now firmly embedded in how the 118th Wing operates. Members of the 118th Operations Group piloted the MQ-9 to a successful takeoff and landing without forward-deployed ground crews, a capability that has since expanded training opportunities across Middle Tennessee.
The key technology behind the mission is Satellite Launch and Recovery, or SLR — a system that allows MQ-9s to take off and land autonomously using pre-programmed profiles while the pilot remains in full command from a remote location.
“The airplane is still being flown through the satellite, but based on an auto takeoff and landing profile we’ve built into it, it basically allows the aircraft to go and land on its own,” said Lt. Col. John Woods, assistant director of operations, 118th Operations Support Squadron. “It knows exactly where it is and where the runway is.”
Woods was quick to emphasize that the pilot retains full authority throughout every flight. The automation assists — it does not replace — the airman at the controls.
The impact on local training has been significant. For years, the 118th Wing lacked the ability to conduct regular MQ-9 training flights from Smyrna. That changed with this capability, opening the door to daily training missions to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and Arnold Air Force Base in Coffee County — strengthening partnerships with Army units on close air support, convoy overwatch, and joint federal missions.
Beyond combat training, the MQ-9’s domestic value has become increasingly clear. The platform can remain airborne for more than 24 hours, carry a wide range of sensors and cameras, and even function as an airborne communications tower during natural disasters — a role the California Air National Guard pioneered during wildfire response operations and one the 118th Wing has studied closely.
“It’s such a good platform for cameras and sensors and could become an airborne cell tower if there’s a natural disaster,” Woods said. “The payload we can carry to support Tennesseans — and anyone affected nationally — is huge.”
For Smyrna and Rutherford County, the 118th Wing’s continued investment in cutting-edge technology represents more than military readiness. It reflects a community commitment — men and women in uniform, rooted in Middle Tennessee, carrying out missions that protect and serve both the state and the nation.
