The unit will include several air vehicles, a ground control station, satellite datalinks and various other subsystems essential to combat operations.

FORBES: The Revolution In Unmanned Aircraft Is Overrated

South Korea says the satellite launched on Wednesday has made contact with a ground station and is sending data.

BBC: South Korea satellite 'communicating'

The ground control stations send their commands to Reaper via a fibre-optic link to a satellite relay station in Europe, which bounces them into space and back down to the aircraft.

BBC: Military's crucial 'eye in the sky'