5F6B
Partially agree. No need to deploy? How about (from the RAF site): launched from an airfield within Afghanistan by crews deployed in theatre...handed back to the crew in theatre for landing;flown by the crews of 39 Squadron from Creech Air Force Base in the USA [or Waddo].
That sounds to me like "deployment", which would require an element of pre-det training, and in the Afghan case certainly not accompanied by family (probably not at Creech either).
Sure, they can fly long missions, but once the ordnance is delivered, do they loiter for surveillance, or RTB to re-arm? Guess that depends on a host of associated or conflicting requirements.
As for airborne hours/sortie rate, this could be constrained by the number of "cockpits" and airframes (which must inevitably be prone to malfunction or require servicing). From the RAF website:
"The Reaper system consists of 4x Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), 2x Ground Control Station (GCS), communication equipment/links,spares, and personnel from all 3 services and contractor ground crew. At present the UK has 5 aircraft with a further 5 on order with associated ground equipment, spares and personnel."
So, you are correct to say that it is not a simple comparison of bums on seats in a cockpit, it's a bit more complex, but no less labour intensive (maybe more even more).
Mister B