Direct proof of use
The RQ-11 Raven is directly documented in the 2003 Iraq War through U.S. Army reporting on combat use by U.S. soldiers in Iraq. A 2010 Army article on the Raven program identified Spc. T.J. Chartney of the 101st Airborne Division's 502nd Infantry Regiment as a Raven operator who flew the system in combat in Iraq in 2007-2008.
The same Army report described the Raven's Iraq and Afghanistan combat use as surveillance for pinpointing enemy targets and collecting situational data. Chartney said he used the Raven for reconnaissance and forward-observer work, while program officials said the Raven had completed 230,000 combat sorties in Iraq and Afghanistan and that 950 Ravens were then in theater across both wars.
Sources: Raven Takes Flight For North
Timeline
The public record places the Raven in Iraq combat service by 2007-2008, when the 101st Airborne operator cited by the Army flew it for reconnaissance and forward-observer support. A separate Army AL&T caption from 2008 documented an RQ-11 Raven launch at Taji, Iraq, by a soldier from the 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, for a flight to search for insurgents placing improvised explosive devices.
By February 2010, U.S. Army reporting described a transition-support role in Wasit Province: C Troop, 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment was training the Iraqi Army's 32nd Brigade to assemble, operate, and deploy the Raven. The article said the Raven was scheduled for deployment during the March 2010 elections, when Iraqi Army and police forces would provide security for people and polling sites.
Sources: Raven Takes Flight For North, Army AL&T October-December 2008, Iraqi Army UAVs Give Troops the Big Picture
Operational role
The documented United States use was small-unit intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting support. Army program officials described the Raven as a rucksack-portable system for company-level and lower commanders, used to improve situational awareness, force protection, and route, point, and area security.
The documented Iraqi Army context was training and planned security deployment rather than an independently described strike or casualty event. U.S. Army reporting said the system gave Iraqi troops quick aerial surveillance, helped ground forces maneuver, locate targets, and gather intelligence, and was being introduced as U.S. forces shifted toward a supporting role in Iraq.
Sources: Raven Takes Flight For North, Iraqi Army UAVs Give Troops the Big Picture
