Drone Its Here?

[Call me bubba]

MANILA — Philippine navy officials said Monday a suspected American drone has been found floating in the ocean off a central province, prompting them to deploy a ship with ordnance experts after fishermen reported the object may have been a bomb.

The three-meter (10-foot) orange BQM-74e drone marked "Navy" was found by a Filipino diver and fishermen off Masbate Island on Sunday and has been turned over to local navy authorities, Philippine navy officer Captain Jason Rommel Galang said, adding it was not clear why the unmanned aerial vehicle ended up off Masbate.

U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Bettina Malone said efforts were under way to determine if the drone was one of those used in American military air target training exercises and why it was in the waters off Masbate, about 380 kilometers (235 miles) southeast of Manila. The type of drone found was not armed and not used for surveillance, she said.

(at least it was not taken to a junk shop for the scrap value)

Edited January 7, 2013 by Jake
added photo and also removed links

[Jake]

Update from Philippine Daily Inquirer: statement from US Embassy, Manila

She said the drone was the kind typically used in military training. The recovered vehicle appears to be of the sort that

is used as an air defense target in training exercises,” Malone said. “This type of vehicle is not armed and not used for

surveillance. We are trying to confirm this interpretation and to determine how and when it may have landed in the sea.”

I for one totally agree with the embassy spokesperson. It's painted bright orange for quick recovery and

has a floatation system. The BQM-74 drone has been used extensively to test shipboard detection and

missile defense systems. Sometimes, we get our pee-pees whacked because we score a skin to skin

contact (direct hit). They're pretty expensive with its telemetry package packed in the warhead section.

Edited January 7, 2013 by Jake

[JJReyes]

The drones packed with spying equipment have a self-destruct mechanism. They definitely won't include a flotation skirt or be painted orange for visibility. Hopefully, the American military will reward the fishermen who found it. What's the current price for scrap in the Philippines?

Edited January 7, 2013 by JJR

[i am bob]

I imagine they will pay a decent reward... We used to pay pretty good for the practice torpedoes that were found and returned.

[Americano]

Skin to skin contact? Can a US Sailor discuss any subject without adding something sexual to it? I can see a female sailor fantasizing about that long drone, hehe.

I believe we will start seeing a lot more drones, ships and aircraft as the USA military moves into the Pacific area surrounding the Philippines.