Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




UAV NEWS
Spain opts for drones to combat pirates
by Staff Writers
Madrid (UPI) Jun 4, 2010


Other reports suggest the Spanish military is also eying Northrop Grumman's MQ-8B Fire Scout, an other rendition of unmanned choppers.

Spain announced plans to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles to target pirates off the coast of Somalia.

The plan to use unmanned helicopters is featured in military operations that have so far been using submarine-hunting aircraft, shipboard radar and helicopters to spot pirates acting with impunity in the Indian Ocean.

"It's the first time that Spain will use a remote-controlled patrol in the European mission Atlanta," Avionews reported recently.

Spain's Ministry of Defense said that it would be purchasing pilot-less aircraft for the Spanish navy ships patrolling the region as part of the European Union's campaign to crackdown on piracy. The operation is code-named "Operation Atlanta."

So far the Spanish navy has been testing the Scan Eagle produced by the Boeing and Initu companies. The aircraft are already used by the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Navy and the Australian and Canadian forces in Afghanistan, Euroweekly reported.

"The Scan Eagle has a range of 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) and climbs to 4,880 meters (15,748 feet) operating at between 50 and 84 miles an hour, and cruising 90 kilometers (56 miles) an hour," the Euroweekly news report said.

The report said that the aircraft didn't require a runway as they are catapult-launched, making them "an ideal choice for use in Operations Atlanta's surveillance and reconnaissance operations."

The aircraft is similar to the chopper drones used by U.S. forces to track drug runners by controlling the system from an land base.

Eight EU-member countries participate in the military operation, including Spain.

Other reports suggest the Spanish military is also eying Northrop Grumman's MQ-8B Fire Scout, an other rendition of unmanned choppers.

While no further details of its purchase plans have been disclosed the Barcelona Reporter said the military expects to spend nearly $20 billion to buy four aircraft for the anti-piracy mission.

Canada's aerospace giant Bombardier has also developed similar drone choppers specifically designed for anti-piracy operations.

Spain has used unmanned airships in the past, deploying them in operations in Afghanistan in 2008.

Avionews said the aircraft "will serve to control the main ports that serves as base for the Somali pirates and their patrol supply vessels." They can also afforded added surveillance of the boat that has been hijacked.

One of the option Spain is considering is to lease helicopters with the option to purchase them in the future.

The United States deployed drones last year, using a fleet in the Seychelles to combat piracy.

.


Related Links
UAV News - Suppliers and Technology






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








UAV NEWS
First Unmanned VTOL - Camcopter S100
Vienna, Austria (SPX) Jun 03, 2010
This year, Schiebel's CAMCOPTER S-100 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) is making aviation history. As the first unmanned VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) System to fly at ILA Berlin, the helicopter will prove its extraordinary skills at Berlin Schonefeld airport from 8 to 13 June 2010 by daily flight displays. The pictures of the flight displays will be shown in real time. Included on the ... read more


UAV NEWS
Old Moon Rover Beams Surprising Laser Flashes To Earth

MSU Robot Digs Most Moon Dirt

Japan Draws Plans To Build Research Center On Moon

Caterpillar Participates In Inaugural Lunabotics Mining Competition

UAV NEWS
18-Month Mars500 Mission Has Begun

ASU Instrument Helps Identify Rare Rock On Mars

Designing The Next Rover To Explore Mars

520 Days On A Simulated Flight To Mars

UAV NEWS
A Chance To Name Europe's Next Astronaut Mission

SpaceX founder Elon Musk, a dot.com 'renaissance man'

NASA plans 'Summer of Innovation'

Al Gore, wife Tipper, to separate

UAV NEWS
Seven More For Shenzhou

China Signs Up First Female Astronauts

China To Launch Second Lunar Probe This Year

China, Bolivia to build communications satellite

UAV NEWS
ISS Orbit Adjusted Prior To Soyuz Spacecraft Docking

ISS Expedition 23 lands safely in Kazakhstan

China May Become Space Station Partner

Expedition 23 Crew Members Returning To Earth Tonight

UAV NEWS
Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne Celebrates 50 Years

Space Industry Leaders And Astronauts Congratulate SpaceX

Russia To Test Launch New Spacecraft From Baikonur In 2015

Proton-M With Arabsat-5 telecoms Satellite Blasts Off From Baikonur

UAV NEWS
'Out Of Whack' Planetary System

Weird Orbits Of Neighbors Can Make 'Habitable' Planets Not So Habitable

Get It While it's Hot! Star Devours Planet

Exoplanetary System Offers Clues To Disturbed Past

UAV NEWS
Hylas On Schedule For Launch

Asia's iPad imitators hope to bite into Apple's lead

Murdoch hails Steve Jobs, iPad

Apple chief believes people will pay for online news




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement