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The MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned combat aerial vehicle of U.S. Africa Command made an emergency landing near the town of Agadez in Niger on January 23.
“The aircraft experienced a mechanical malfunction while conducting a routine mission in support of operations in the region,” Military Times quoted Air Force Col. Christopher Karns as saying over the incident.
US forces were deployed to the area to secure and recover the aircraft after the incident.
“Assessment and the process of recovery of the aircraft and safeguarding the site is underway. Due to force protection and operational considerations this is about all I can say. Early indications reflect a mechanical issue but an investigation is underway.”
#Niger atterrissage d’urgence d’un #MQ1C #GrayEagle #SkyWarrior dans la région #Ingall #HellFire visible sous l’aile gauche pic.twitter.com/WoyCqYWuBw
— Wassim Nasr (@SimNasr) January 24, 2021
Prety robust for a drone to land on that terain
US itself has crashed :)
Then you shall not worry about them. Russia can rule the world alone :)
Based on the image – terrain is savanna-like – very flat & seasonally very dry with hard surface. So reasonable place to emergency land any small to medium sized aircraft with decent undercarriage. Given the huge ticket-price of a Grey Eagle drone it should absolutely be structural engineered to withstand landing on such an emergency surface and maintain overall structural integrity. Random aviation fact, part of the MiG-29’s basic design brief – incredibly robust undercarriage and variably controlled forward/upward facing jet intakes to keep engines debris free – was to allow take-off and landing from such improvised battle-field strips all day long :)
Yes, I know Russian planes are robust but now the drones are the thing.
Woops. :)
Perhaps the artificial intelligence programmed by Africom cyber experts entered the coordinates of Atlanta instead.
Pronto, send it to Iran.