Posted on 11/12/2013 5:40:06 PM PST by Behind Liberal Lines
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Officials at the 174th Attack Wing suspended all Reaper drone flights in Central New York Tuesday after one of the unmanned aircraft crashed into Lake Ontario about 12 miles from the eastern shore during a routine training flight.
A Coast Guard helicopter and search vessel were unable to recover the $4 million drone, which crashed about 1 p.m. Tuesday, and were forced to call off the search late in the afternoon because of bad weather, said Col. Greg Semmel, commander of the 174th Attack Wing of the Air National Guard.
Semmel said he did not know what caused the accident. A safety investigation board appointed by Air Force commanders based in Langley, Va., will investigate the incident. Semmel estimated the investigation could take a month or so to complete.
No decision has been made yet on when Reaper training flights will resume, Semmel said.
The drone crashed into the lake about 20 miles northeast of the Port of Oswego, and about 12 miles from the eastern shore, Semmel said.
The 174th Attack Wing trains pilots and sensor operators to fly the MQ-9 Reaper, a 36-foot-long drone with a 66-foot wingspan that can be armed with Hellfire missiles or other armaments for combat missions.
The Reaper that crashed Tuesday was unarmed and had been in the air about three hours when it went down in the lake, Semmel said.
When the Reapers are unarmed, the 174th Attack Wing flies them across a wide swath of Upstate New York, from west of Rochester eastward to near Blue Mountain Lake, and from Syracuse north to the Massena area. When the drones carry missiles, they are restricted to military air space in Northern New York, Semmel said.
(Excerpt) Read more at syracuse.com ...
Just speculation, but you have to ask why they are practicing drone missions over urban and populated areas in the east when they could/should be practicing missions over areas out west that are more geographically similar to the areas where our enemies reside.
Evil NEVER rests.
“training flights”
Right.
...but you have to ask why they are practicing drone missions over urban and populated areas in the east when they could/should be practicing missions over areas out west that are more geographically similar to the areas where our enemies reside.
Flying is flying. This is a Air National Guard unit. No doubt the NY Congressional delegation insisted on flying in their state.
So many drones out west that it got crowded - had to send some east.
Oh?
I thought they resided in highly populated areas; getting lost in the crowds.
I'll admit I haven't been up north in several years, but I don't think the North and Northeast (with the possible exception of Detroit) resemble Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan or Yemen very much.
So, by your comments I take it that you approve of the 0bama regime running simulated drone strikes on Americans and American cities?
HUH???
That, to me, seems to be quite a stretch.
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