A Reaper drone, as used by the CIA and American military in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Photograph: Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesThe Endless CAP -- Strategy Page
U.S. Predator UAVs mainly fly CAPs (Combat Air Patrols). Each CAP requires 3-4 Predators (one doing the CAP, one or two in transit to the CAP area and one on the ground undergoing maintenance and repairs), and 80 airmen. Fifty of the troops are overseas, taking care of maintenance, and landing and take offs. To do this round the clock, each CAP requires two ground control stations. One is overseas, to handle takeoffs and landings. The other ground station is back in the United States, where 30 members of the squadron operate the Predator, in shifts, as it patrols. Currently, the air force has 35 CAPs operating in Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan, four of them with Reapers (one of them is a British controlled aircraft).
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My Comment: The CIA also operates a fleet of drones. Those number are probably the same.
This is an excellent summary of America's UAV fleet from Strategy Page.
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