Mon, Mar 22, 2004
Four Months: Four Unmanned Aircraft Down In Afghanistan
For the fourth time in as many months, a Canadian UAV operating
in Afghanistan has either crashed or made a hard landing. The
record seems to validate concerns from both critics and experts
that conditions in Afghanistan are just too tough for the
French-made drones.
The latest incident occurred on Saturday, when a Sperwer UAV
(file photo of type, above), built by the French company SAGEM and
its Quebec-based subsidiary, was knocked out of action when its
controller forced it to land in a field near Kabul.
"The Sperwer had difficulty gaining its normal operating
altitude," said Lt. Col. Dana Clarke, the UAV project director,
quoted by Canadian Press.
The UAV had launched
about 15 minutes earlier from Camp Julien when it was forced to
land in a field. "Because the aircraft was headed toward a
populated area, a decision was made to force it to land in a
field," Clarke said.
The $2 million Sperwer involved in Saturday's incident is
completely out of service -- at least, for the time being. Its nose
cone was broken and one wing cracked. "The damage is beyond the
repair of our local facilities," said Master Warrant Officer Yves
Roy of the UAV program. "It has to be sent back to France. Then
we'll decide if it is feasible to repair, or if they'll just take
parts off of it."
The Canadian drones are pushing hard to operate in Afghanistan,
where launch and recovery operations are often conducted at almost
7,000 MSL. Dust storms and unpredictable winds make the going even
tougher.
And don't for a moment think the problem is confined to Canadian
UAVs. Last month, a German UAV was forced down by unknown
circumstances. It landed on a Kabul rooftop.
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