Extremely Bad Luck & Embarassment for White House & Pentagon Drone Down Again!

[mortarmafia]

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest...helles-becomes-site-of-another-US-drone-crash

Seychelles becomes site of another US drone crash

Seychelles became the latest foreign country to see a US drone crash. The US Embassy says the drone was unarmed.

By MALKHADIR M. MUHUMED, Associated Press / December 14, 2011

Seychelles drone: An unmanned security drone patrols over the venue hosting the women's modern pentathlon at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara October 15. A different US drone crashed in the island nation of Seychelles while on a mission to search for pirates.

Andy Clark/Reuters
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An American military drone which had been used to monitor piracy off the East African coast has crashed at an airport on the island nation of Seychelles during a routine patrol, officials said.
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The U.S. Embassy in Mauritius said the unmanned U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper was not armed and that Tuesday's crash caused no injuries. The crash sparked a fire that was quickly extinguished.

Lina Laurence of Seychelles' civilian aviation authority said the drone developed engine problems minutes into its flight and needed to land as soon as possible Tuesday morning.

IN PICTURES: Drones: America's unmanned Predators

"But due to its accelerated landing speed, the aircraft was unable to stop before the runway's end," Laurence said.

The embassy's statement said the cause of the crash is being investigated.

"It has been confirmed that this drone was unarmed and its failure was due to mechanical reasons," Laurence said.

The affected runway was closed for about 10 minutes as a "precautionary measure," but was later reopened with no disruption to airport operations, Laurence said.

The U.S. military and the civilian aviation authority of Seychelles have coordinated to remove the debris, officials said.

The MQ-9 Reaper is a medium-to-high altitude unmanned aircraft system with sensors that can provide real-time data. The Seychelles-based MQ-9s, which are used to monitor piracy activities in and around the Indian Ocean, don't carry weapons, though they have the capability to do so.

Tuesday's crash follows last week's claim by Iran that it seized a drone identified as the RQ-170 Sentinel. Tehran said it was captured over the country's east. The nearly intact drone was displayed on state TV and flaunted as a victory for Iran in a complicated intelligence and technological battle with the U.S.

U.S. officials said the unmanned aircraft malfunctioned and was not brought down by Iran. President Barack Obama said Monday the U.S. wants the top-secret aircraft back and has delivered a formal request for the return of the surveillance drone, though it isn't hopeful that Iran will comply.

The U.S. has used drones to hunt down al-Qaida-linked militants in Somalia and Yemen, among other countries. Their humming is a constant feature in the sky in many of the major towns in southern Somalia, especially the capital city and the militant-controlled southern port of Kismayo. It was not clear if drones operated out of the Seychelles are used for that purpose.

IN PICTURES: Drones: America's unmanned Predators

 

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http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/12/u-s-predator-drone-crashes-in-seychelles/


U.S. Predator Drone Crashes in Seychelles
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gty mq9 reaper uav drone ll 111213 wblog U.S. Predator Drone Crashes in Seychelles

An unarmed U.S. Predator drone crashed at the international airport in the Seychelles today. The United States operates a small fleet of unarmed surveillance drones out of the Seychelles to assist with countering the scourge of Somali pirates who terrorize the waters off of east Africa.

A U.S. Air Force statement said the remotely piloted MQ-9 Reaper aircraft crashed at a runway at the Seychelles International Airport in Mahe this morning. “The MQ-9 was not armed and no injuries were reported,” said the statement.

After the debris was removed from the runway the airport re-opened for normal traffic. The cause of the crash is unknown and is under investigation.

U.S. Africa Command has been flying drones out of the Seychelles since 2009 as part of anti-piracy measures in the Indian Ocean. The Air Force took over the mission from the Navy in September.

An Air Force official says the drones help support a range of regional security missions including maritime surveillance, counter-terrorism, counter-piracy and security engagements with partner nations.

He says, “the aircraft will remain in the area as long as the government of the Seychelles welcomes the U.S. cooperation in this effort.”

The drones can fly vast distances over the Indian Ocean looking for Somali pirates who often operate as hundreds of miles from the coast of Somalia.

The frequent hijackings of commercial freighters have made the waters of East Africa some of the most dangerous in the world. Ship’s crews are often held for months if not years until ransoms are paid to the pirates.

Many countries, including the U.S., provide navy vessels to patrol the waters off of Somalia to prevent the pirates from seizing ships and hostages.

The surveillance flights from the Seychelles are seen as a valuable tool to expand the reach of the anti-piracy mission by helping to track the movements of Somali pirates.

Today’s Reaper crash was the first ever in the Seychelles since they started flying reconnaissance missions from the remote archipelago.