Reports: Kiowa Hit Tension Line

A U.S. military helicopter crashed Wednesday into the Euphrates River in western Iraq, killing two crew members, a spokesman for the American-led coalition said. It is not known whether the helicopter was attacked or went down because of mechanical difficulties, said Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, a U.S. Army spokesman. The chopper is an OH-58 Kiowa, a reconnaissance craft that carries two crew members. The aircraft is in the Euphrates River on its side, and dive teams have been contacted for assistance. Some news reports indicated the helicopter may have hit a high-tension wire, as it skimmed low over the ground. Military officials did not confirm these reports by ANN's deadline.

Scheduled Demonstration In The U.S.

Metal Storm Limited announced Wednesday that it is planning to live-fire its 40mm electronic-weapon system on an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) helicopter in the U.S. shortly. Preparation and fabrication are well advanced and a UAV airframe has already been shipped into Australia to commence the weapon/UAV integration process. The live firing, anticipated to be held in the U.S. during the second quarter of 2004, is the key deliverable under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that Metal Storm signed with Dragonfly Pictures Inc (DPI) on February 23. Under the MOU the company's electronic-weapon technology will be integrated with DPI's new Dragonfly DP-4X UAV helicopter for these live firings.