The Houthis announced on August 2 that their fighters had shot down an RQ-20 Puma drone in the northwestern Yemeni province of Hajjah.
The U.S.-made drone was reportedly shot down over the district of Harad, which is located on the border line with the southern Saudi province of Jizan.
Developed by AeroVironment, the RQ-20 Puma is a hand-launched unmanned aerial vehicle that was designed for surveillance and intelligence missions. The basic version of the drone has an endurance of 2 hours and a range of 15 km. A single unit costs around $250,000.
The RQ-20 shot down by the Houthis carried stickers with the insignia of the Royal Saudi Air Force and its well-known slogan “لله يحفظك” [May God Protect You].
The markings on the drone’s wreckage indicate that it was being operated by the Saudi military. However, the RQ-20 is not known to be in service with Saudi forces. There are no reports of the Kingdom purchasing this type of drones.
The RQ-20 Puma may have entered service with the Saudi military very recently. Another possibility is that the drone was being operated by U.S. Special Forces deployed on the Kingdom’s border with Yemen. This would explain why the Saudi insignia and motto were on stickers, not painted directly on the drone.
The U.S. is the main supporter of the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis. Washington is not only selling weapons to coalition members, but also providing advice and intelligence.
Good job. Saudisis will cry and rage :)
Looks so cheap but actually is expensive. Useless Junk!
When one compares it with a high end sportscar such as a Maserati though, the $250,00 price tag of the small hand launched US drone is price gouging at its best.
Buy Chinese at a 10th of the price. They’re both going to end up on the ground eventually …
Most of the drones used by Saudis in Yemen are Chinese.
Nope, wrong as usual.
But?
Hi there Florian, My thoughts exactly. However, I decided to check out the RQ-20A which is a System not a single drone. For $250,000 the Yanki Marines et al get a package of 3 Puma drones and 2 ground support units. It is only 13lbs in weight but carries a lot of tech, which I’m sure RGs in Iran will look forward to getting their hands on. https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=1043
What would a commercial drone with similar tech cost? Any ideas? The airframe is basic, so the software must be advanced, but the operating systems of an I-phone are advanced as well.
That’s why I do not own one :)
I could retire on that money :'(
yeah but, things that downed them also matters. Plus there are cheaper alternatives with better performance and lower price. I think it is about the technological age. This one is more than 10years old. Need newer versions. Its embarrasing with so much money to have such junk.
Wherever crimes against humanity are committed, the fingerprints of Anglo-Zionists are found in abundance.
Saudi morons are too stupid to operate any drones, it is their Americunt moron masters that lost another drone :)
It looks very advanced, sure it’s not Russian?
Probably Ukrop. Fueled by borscht…
Good one!
No it is Americunt, I have seen them in Iraqi Kurdistan for a few years now. Iran took down a few and cloned them too.
Not that advanced, it is a second generation surveillance drone.The AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma is a small, battery powered, Americunthand-launched unmanned aircraft system produced by AeroVironment based in California. Primary mission is surveillance and intelligence gathering using an electro-optical and infrared camera. The Kurd turd arseholes have the same.
Alreadt done. These are minor surveillance drones, Iran is producing more deadly stuff now.
Nice bullet scrape on the optics. Stickers, hmm… my first thought is this is a rogue operator pretending to be saudi. Basically anyone can put on stickers, and saudi doesn’t operate this equipment… israel?
the increasing use of drones seems to have changed the contours of warfare, where deception is now common. Serbs created cardboard tanks w foil to seduce American pilots to ignore the actual battle vehicles…Russia produces inflatable tanks, etc w radio sensors, etc…I doubt that destruction of an inflatable tank will win a battle