Military Procurement International Vol. 18, No. 9, May 1, 2008
Copyright DAPSS S.A., 200
8, Switzerland. It is unlawful to reproduce any of this publication without written permission from the publisher.
UNITED KINGDOM
One
of two Reaper UAVs lost in Afghanistan
One of the two General
Atomics Reaper (Predator B) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) operated by the Royal
Air Force in Afghanistan was lost on April 9. It is unclear whether it will
be immediately replaced. The Reaper was one of three purchased in 2007 for the
RAF under an Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR), of which two were deployed to
Afghanistan last September. The third had been scheduled to be deployed
in-country in July. The RAF plans to arm its Reaper UAVs (MPI
April 1, 2008, page 6).
According
to a Ministry of Defence statement, the UAV “made a forced landing whilst on
an operation over a remote, unpopulated area of southern Afghanistan. Sensitive
items were recovered and the remaining wreckage was destroyed. The reason for
the forced landing is under investigation; however, mechanical issues are
suspected.” ©
DAPSS S.A., 2008, Switzerland