Is It A Bird? No, It’s an American UAV | Aviation International News

Is It A Bird? No, It’s an American UAV

U.S.

The mini-UAV that crashed in Pakistan close to the Afghan border was disguised as a bird. (Photo: AP/Shah Khalid)

By Chris Pocock • Defense Correspondent

September 2, 2011

U.S. special or covert forces are using hand-launched UAVs disguised as large birds to monitor terrorist movements along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The Pakistan Frontier Corps recovered one such UAV after it crashed on August 25 near one of its border forts in Baluchistan.

Photos released by news agencies show a propeller-driven design with a six-foot cranked wingspan and a four-foot centerbody that narrows to a rudder, topped by a horizontal fan tail. A Pakistan military spokesman identified the UAV as American, unarmed and equipped with two cameras. It developed a technical fault, and was not shot down, he added.

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