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The official website for the Multi-National Force in Iraq is reporting that a Hunter MQ-5B/C unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) made its first kill on September 1. A scout weapons team (SWT) was performing surveillance when two enemy combatants were discovered.
The enemy combatants were suspected of planting improvised explosive device (IEDs) on a roadway, so air support was requested by the SWT. A Hunter UAV was sent to the location where it dropped a precision bomb on the two suspects. Both were killed by the blast.
"It’s very humbling to know that we have set an Army historical mark in having the first successful launch in combat from an Army weaponized UAV," said Capt. Raymond Fields of the Unmanned Aerial Surveillance Company.
Originally posted by linebottom
reply to post by kilcoo316
So, lemme get this straight. Some guys were digging at the side of the road in Iraq. Some guy in Houston, Texas, saw they were doing this on his little monitor which shows images from the unmanned drone, concluded they must be insurgents planting IED's, and proceeded to blow the Hell out of them.
I suppose they didn't bother to check up if it was a good call afterwards, or maybe somebody was doing some roadside repairs.
No, let's just say hooray for the hometeam and carve another notch in our holster.
No signature killing, just as good a development as 'private security contractors'. What a effin mess!
Originally posted by linebottom
reply to post by kilcoo316
I suppose they didn't bother to check up if it was a good call afterwards, or maybe somebody was doing some roadside repairs.
Originally posted by RichardPrice
To date the MQ-1 Predator has several confirmed kills, including several strikes in Pakistan against Al Qaeda suspects, at least two strikes in Afghanistan against both Al Qaeda personel and hardened positions, an Al Qaeda leader in Yemen in 2002, and several in Iraq in the past 3 years.
So why is this news exactly?
Originally posted by BlueRaja
There are certain activities in Iraq that will get you shot at. Digging by roads is one of them, as are not stopping at checkpoints, getting too close to convoys, carrying RPGs, etc... Iraqis are well aware of of these rules of engagement. If they still decide to continue on with them, then they can either be considered to have hostile intent, or they're morons.
Originally posted by linebottom
So, lemme get this straight. Some guys were digging at the side of the road in Iraq. Some guy in Houston, Texas, saw they were doing this on his little monitor which shows images from the unmanned drone, concluded they must be insurgents planting IED's, and proceeded to blow the Hell out of them.
I think it's fair to say that this was seen as an opportunity to perform a live test of the system. A nice simple scenario involving a couple of lame ducks who are easy meat, very much like those ballistic missile shield tests where the scenario was ridiculously easy. Very much a "target of opportunity" in every bad taste sense of the word I say.
Originally posted by The Winged Wombat
Reading further into this, it all seems like overkill to me. Am I to assume that a SWT is unable to deal with two 'enemy combatants' digging a hole without resorting to an air strike?...
Interesting......... and pretty poor use of resources, if you ask me - two guys (presumably armed with shovels) vs how many millions of dollars to develop and field the MQ-5.
Originally posted by linebottom
So, lemme get this straight. Some guys were digging at the side of the road in Iraq. Some guy in Houston, Texas, saw they were doing this on his little monitor which shows images from the unmanned drone, concluded they must be insurgents planting IED's, and proceeded to blow the Hell out of them.
I suppose they didn't bother to check up if it was a good call afterwards, or maybe somebody was doing some roadside repairs.
No, let's just say hooray for the hometeam and carve another notch in our holster.
No signature killing, just as good a development as 'private security contractors'. What a effin mess!