U.S. Acknowledges MQ-1C Drone Incident in Somalia, Clarifying Misunderstandings Surrounding Turkish TB2
Mogadishu (AX) — On Friday, the U.S. Africa Command, or AFRICOM if you’re in the know, set the record straight about a drone that took a nosedive on Tuesday in the southern reaches of Somalia. What did they say? Well, turns out it was an American drone—not Turkish, like some local chatter had claimed. This misstep had folks initially mistaking the fancy flying gizmo for a Turkish Bayraktar TB2. Quite the mix-up!
The drone, an MQ-1C Gray Eagle to be exact, crash-landed near Farsooley—a spot under the watchful eye of Al-Shabaab about a lazy 130 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu. Now, here’s where it gets juicy. Eyewitnesses claim Al-Shabaab folks wasted no time swiping the crash remnants, hiding the wreckage with lush tree branches, perhaps to throw off any nosy aerial spies. Plus, the drone was apparently toting missiles when it bit the dust.
According to AFRICOM, this whole hullabaloo unfolded around 12:40 in the afternoon, local time, on the 5th of November. They still can’t say for sure if it was zapped by enemy fire, but they’re digging into the details as you read this. Stay tuned, because AFRICOM promises more tidbits once they piece together the puzzle. This communication also serves as a correction from the initial reports, including those from Hiiraan Online.
By the way, snagging yourself an MQ-1C Gray Eagle would set you back a cool $21 million. Cha-ching!
Turkey, known for lending a hand in Somali military endeavors, especially against the bothersome Al-Shabaab, has been providing firepower and coaching to Somali forces. That’s why many assumed their Bayraktar TB2—a hot ticket in regional skirmishes thanks to its eagle-eyed surveillance and precision strike chops—was the downed drone in question.
For those not deep into the nitty-gritty of drones, the MQ-1C Gray Eagle is a product of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. Think Predator drone, but way cooler and jazzed up. This UAS, or Unmanned Aircraft System for the formal ones, stands tall with the U.S. Army since 2009, sporting multiple upgrades along the way. It comes in handy for everything from recon spy missions to taking out high-value targets with its four-pack of Hellfire missiles.
In its spare time, the Gray Eagle can be found hovering high for hours on end—25 to be precise—zooming at sky-high altitudes around 29,000 feet. It’s as versatile as they come, whether it’s gathering intel or playing a pivotal role in direct action missions.
As more deets dribble out about what made this technological marvel come tumbling down, we’ll be hearing from the U.S. military for more juicy insights. Keep your ears peeled!
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
