MQ-1B Predator Kills Three Insurgents

An MQ-1B Predator unmanned aerial vehicle engaged three insurgents in the process of planting a homemade bomb along a road near Balad Air Base, Iraq, yesterday evening and launched an AGM-114 Hellfire missile against the group.
The Predator monitored the three terrorists for about a half hour while they used a pick ax to dig a hole in the road, placed an explosive round in the hole, and strung wires from the hole to a ditch on the side of the road. When it was clear the individuals were placing a bomb, the Predator launched the 100-pound Hellfire missile, killing all three insurgents.

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I just saw the video of this event on MSBN news and man will a Hellfire missile ruin your day! If I find it I will post the Video here since it has been released.

This is IMHO a perfect example on how effective UCAVs can be in even urban settings like in Iraq. Who knows how many US troops that IED could have killed and it was all prevented without risking a single US life.

For military UCAVs like the MQ-1B Predator

This is exactly why these things are needed. If any examples of the value of such systems need to be presented, it’s this.

It’s a three pronged benefit:

#1 The insurgents didn’t even know it was there, so they did not/could not hide their activity from it like they would actual troops

#2 No direct human on human contact, reducing the threat of good guy casualties

#3 And of course we have one more IED neutralized prior to any coalition or Iraqi civilian deaths or injuries


[edit on 6-4-2006 by skippytjc]

While I'm nearly certain the victems and families of victims of roadside bombs will disagree with me, the strongest value of a roadside bomb is not in killing a few people. It lays in making an attack and getting it on the news. It's an opportunity to make an attack while waving a banner saying "hey look, the US is loosing!".

Skippy, I think you missed a benefit:

#4 getting blown up in the act has got to wreak havok on the moral of surviving insurgents.

Originally posted by Travellar


#4 getting blown up in the act has got to wreak havok on the moral of surviving insurgents.

I agree theres got to be a huge psychological factor of a weapon like that. You cant really be sure if these things are up their watching you. Thats got to be in the back of your mind after a few such attacks.Then theres the whole fact that your fighting a machine you down this thing and you still havent killed a single US soldier just a machine.


I have been thinking though about the Hellfire Missile used on Predators. They things cost a good deal and are often way overkill for a pickup trucks or a group of men in his case. These missiles can take out pretty much any tank on the planet.

Not that the cost bothers me since it pricless IMHO to not risk a US life. But I wonder if a more effective weapon could be developed smaller and cheaper then a Hellfire so we can produce and use more of these things for the same price.

the predator is evolving quite well i hear its going to be fitted with an amraam for self defense www.aviationnow.com... ew%3Dstory%26id%3Dnews%2F03033top.xml link might be a little long if it is paste it in your adress bar.

I'm pretty sure the US has a higher budget for arms procurment and ammunition than any terrorist orginisatio on the planet. enough to justify blowing up a truck+3 even.

of course, snipers probrably would be more cost effective in expending ammunition, Predators are probrably more cost effective in keeping on station.

video.google.com...

No doubt Predators are becoming more and more effective tools to kill or capture those that deploy and detonate IEDs. Its better than just responding to finding and destroy the IEDs when you can just kill those that deploy them. No doubt they are producing more of these Predators to watch and strike anyone who attempts to kill coalition forces along the roads.

Awesome video. Of course, while I'm watching it and seeing the insurgents digging the hole and planting the bomb, all within feet of each other, I'm wondering why they aren't firing the missile. But that's just Rasputin13 the untrained, unskilled warmonger not thinking things through. Brilliant work on the military's part to sit back and observe, following them to their foxhole, their getaway vehicles, and ultimately their hideout. THEN blowing them away!!!!

Great work once again by our men and women in uniform, whether on the ground in Iraq or sitting in an air-conditioned trailer in Central Florida controlling the Predator with a joystick. I think the propaganda value of a tape like this far outweighs and is far more demoralizing than any al-Zarqawi beheading video. I'll take a kill like this anyday of the week and twice on Sunday! Score 3 for the good guys!

Great video. But what was with that bug at the end. Either that thing was HUGE, or the Predator was flying pretty low. You could see the wings beating really fast though, which was cool.

Thank you for posting the video mad scientist I was having a heck of a time locating that.

I guess stalking the bad guys all the way home likely has a certain impact on thier morale.

Insurgent #1, "Hey, have you seen Bob?"
Insurgent #2, "Oh, he's out planting some bombs."
Bob the Insurgent, "Hey guys, I'm back!"
Insurgent #1, "Were you followed?"
Bob, "well, I thought we got spotted, but I guess we're okay now."

Now replace the realtive comfort of arriving safely back at your hideout with the uncertainty of whether the next guy in the door is going to get you all killed. Or whether the people you're trying to kill yourself might have been waiting for you to get home to your buddies before blowing your house up.

I suppose the counter to this would be a number of 'cool-down' houses. Similar to a safehouse, but the insurgent spends a pre-determined period of time there before heading back to the safehouse. The counter to that of course is to just keep tracking the guy till you think it's the real hideout. Or just figure realestate costs them more than missiles cost you.