Fisherman catches military drone
The DestinLog reports that a fisherman in the Gulf of Mexico recovered an Air Force BQM-167A airel target drone. The Airforce claim that the drone was lost because its engines cut out … I wonder if the hot shot pilots missed their target 😉
The drone had been lost March 10 due to an engine flame-out during a routine training exercise.
It was found in the Tampa area and turned over to MacDill Air Force Base. The drone belongs to the 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron, a tenant unit at Tyndall. That squadron falls under the 53rd Wing at Eglin Air Force Base.
Glenn E. Davis was fishing about 60 miles off shore when he spotted the drone Sunday afternoon. He towed it into Madeira Beach the next day.
If I caught a drone my first call would be to my lawyer, not the local sheriff, to check if it was legal salvage. I am sure he would have netted a few grand on eBay.
[Hat Tip: Outdoor Pressroom via. SaysUncle ]
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Wow, I'm surprised the Air Force Navy didn't get to it first. The USAF actually has it's own recovery ships (the Tyndall Navy).
Generally you want to "miss" the drone. For live shots, missiles have their warheads removed and replaced with telemetry packages for data recording. Ideally, the missile will pass within lethal range, but not impact the drone, allowing it to be used again. However that doesn't prevent the occasional hard kill, when the missile will actually smack it.