MILF Shoots Down USA Spy Plane
The Moro Islamic Liberation Foundation is claiming it shot down an American drone usually used as a reconnaissance tool but they can also deliver missiles and other offensive weapons of war. The planes can be launched from Washington or any place in the world and flown by remote control. Militants claim they used automatic rifles to shoot them down.
There are reports that another drone from the USA crashed after flying into a coconut grove. Also in Mindanao. MILF has pointed out that using aid from US Military to assist with an internal conflict is a violation of the Philippine Constitution.
I’m a little confused. These drones normally fly at such a high altitude that there is no way automatic fire from a rifle could reach them. They can’t be heard from the ground when the planes at those altitudes. Perhaps they brought them down low so they could peer into the rain forest of the Philippines.
The US and the Philippines do not admit to any of this as far as I know and I wouldn’t think they would, especially if it is unconstitutional. I suspect though that it would be unconstitutional only if the Philippines asked for it and there are probably different definitions of assistance too. Nothing would prevent the USA from flying those drones over here and then giving the information to the Philippines.
Still, that a badly equiped militia could take down drones that normally fly above 30,000 feet seems very odd to me. The papers here are reporting it as fact. I think it is far more likely the crash did happen and the MILF now wish to gain status by claiming to shoot one down. If they have one, they will prove it.
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Why is milf worried about what is constituitional? They claim that they are not Filipinos and are not bound by Philippine law. Last report I read about a drone crashing was due to mechanical failure and it was supposedly for surveying the land for humanitarian purposes by the US military. Thats a crock huh? The milf was hoping to get a reward for its return and have been playing with it is what was reported. It is funny how the milf will always cry foul but never honor their agreements. They are in cease fire agreement but the leadership is quite the cheerleader for the uncontroled faction.
This is a second incident. One drone did crash.
I suspect that’s when the MILF became aware of the use of these devices. It would be prestigious for them if they could shoot down a drone. I don’t believe they have it at all. I would be highly concerned if I was being spied on from above. I feel it is likely that moral is at a bit of a low in the MILF’s ranks about now.
I don’t think it would be of great value to anyone if they did. I doubt it has anything in it other countries can use to develop their own systems. Most of the system is some where in the USA, probably buried under a mountain. It probably has nice electronics in it but that could be obtained off the net. Its the mainframes back in the US that control them. Otherwise, the US would just blow them up remotely if they were concerned about them falling into enemy hands.
Shooting one down could be a real moral booster, thus the claim is being made, I suspect for that reason.
UAVs are actually operated localyy, usually from static control stations located on bases but the technology is kept out of the Philippine’s hands. The Us allows only limited access even to the Intel gleaned, and NEVER allows locals to come anywhere near even observing the process.
UAVs CAN be used to launch pin point attacks but the ones in country thus far are merely for surveillance. Surevillance UAVs are rather small and I would tend to agree with the first poster who said that the crashed UAV had mechanical failure. Small arms fire is not effective with them, the only risk being RPG and thank G-D here to fore that RPGs are not in any local armouries.
As for the MILF and the Cease Fire, that has been over for quite sometime. Last year it fell aprt when they massacarred a marine patrol (July 2007 if I recall the month). The poster is correct though that it seems strange that the MILF should be voicing concerns about supposed Constitutional Violations given the Bangsamoro stance on Philippine Sovereignity.
Also last year, a huge problem arose when 3 US personell were observed by loca media in GenSan openly carrying sidearms. Having to be careful about my phrasing, ALLEGEDLY there are joint US/Philippine Ops on Jolo and parts of Sulu, and fringe involvement on Basilan so that displaying a firearm while offduty would seem a very minor issue given unifromed patrols ALLEGEDLY engaging guerillas. There have been claims of the same thing here on Mindanao but to my knowledge they are false. There ARE ambiguities though on Mindanao, like the previously mentioned UAVs but I better stop while I am ahead.
Yeah, I read about the MILF pointing out there was an increased presence of US troops in Mindanao. One never knows where a SEAL team or other US Special OPs might be operating. I hope most are over in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Since missles from no were seem to be falling out of the skies in Pakistan, seems like most of our special ops are likely in Pakistan.
Might be a few more here and there though. I certainly don’t know where they might be.
On one of the science channels or maybe even the Pentagon Channel the other day, they were stating we had Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVS?) that could be launched, from the US, guided by satellite and even refueled from the US. Or maybe I just thought they said US. if we don’t admit to having them, I’ve very surprised if we don’t have some that can do that.
I was pretty amazed that when we use B1’s, I think B1’s… Our stealthy bombers. That we often launch them from the US and have them return to the US.
Again, thanks for the info!
Some-body’s been snooping round my back door…
Shortly after posting this stor, both Haliburton and The Pentagon came snooping around here. I don’t know for sure this is the post that brought big brother around but I noticed their IPs.
Maybe they did loose another UAV or maybe they have alerts for the topic set up. Interesting to say the least.