Politics & Government
UN Report: Aerovironment Spy Drones May Be Wreaking Havoc in Somalia
Spy drones that appear to be made by Monrovia-based Aerovironment have caused crashes or near-crashes in the war-torn African nation, according to the United Nations.
Locally developed spy drones may be responsible for several crashes and near crashes of unmanned aircraft in Somalia in potential violation of an arms embargo, according to the United Nations.
AIN Online reports that a drone nearly collided with a 737 jumbo jet earlier this year and several drones have crashed over Somalia in the last year. Some drones are apparently being controlled by the U.S. military, according to AIN.
"...Independent media reports have documented the deployment of U.S.-operated aircraft in the region, including their suspected use in targeted assassinations of leaders of the Al-Shabaab Islamist extremist group," AIN reports.
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An aircraft that matches the description of 's Raven model flew dangerously close to a fuel depot earlier this year, according to AIN.
The Raven is an unmanned spy drone produced by Huntington Drive based Aerovironment. The is equipped with cameras and can be carried by backpack by soldiers in war zones.
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