Kip Powick Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 French military using winged warriors to hunt down rogue drones. A golden eagle grabs a flying drone during a military training exercise at Mont-de-MarsanFrench Air Force base, Southwestern France.Following incidents of drones flying over the presidential palace and restrictedmilitary sites – along with the deadly 2015 Paris terror attacks – the FrenchAir Force has trained four golden eagles to intercept and destroy the rogue aircraft.Aptly named d'Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis – an homage to Alexandre Dumas’“The Three Musketeers” – the four birds of prey have been honing their attackskills at Mont-de-Marsan since mid-2016. “A drone means food for these birds,” Gerald Machoukow, the military base'sfalconer, told FRANCE 24. “Now theyautomatically go after them.” The use of hunting birds – normally falcons and northern goshawks – bymilitaries around the globe is common practice in the fight to scare othercritters away from runways and so cut the risk of accidents during takeoffor landing. But it wasn’t until 2015 when the Dutch started using bald eagles tointercept drones that other militaries started to see the benefit of thesewinged warriors.The French bred the four golden eagles – three males and one female -- usingartificial insemination since eagles are a protected species and harvesting wildeggs is strictly forbidden. They chose the golden eagle because of the birds hookedbeak and sharp eyesight.Also weighing in around 11 pounds, the birds are in a similar weight class as thedrones they’re sent to destroy and clocking in at a top air speed of 50 miles per hour,with the capability of spotting its target from over a mile away, the eagles aredeft hunters.To protect the eagles from drone blades and any explosive device that might beattached to them, the French military designed mittens of leather and Kevlar(an anti-blast material), to protect the bird’s talons. A golden eagle carries a flying drone (2017). "I love these birds," Machoukow toldAgence France-Presse. "I don't want to send them to their death." The birds are first taught to attack in a straight line before graduating to divingfrom heights. Soon they’ll be patrolling the skies over the Pyrenees Mountains insouthern France and could possibly be deployed at airports and special events,such as political summits and soccer tournaments. The French air force already expectsfour more eagles to join the fleet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 I love the last photo; moderately high AOA with a healthy CL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 The question I have is how is the bird protected against injury by the blades? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted February 6, 2018 Author Share Posted February 6, 2018 1 hour ago, Malcolm said: The question I have is how is the bird protected against injury by the blades? From the article................ 10 hours ago, Kip Powick said: To protect the eagles from drone blades and any explosive device that might beattached to them, the French military designed mittens of leather and Kevlar(an anti-blast material), to protect the bird’s talons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 good eyes old fellow thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 I like the idea of "prison time" Air NZ calls for tighter regulation on UAVs after near-miss 27 March, 2018 SOURCE: Flight Dashboard BY: Ellis Taylor Perth Air New Zealand has called for tighter penalties for operators of unmanned air vehicles that flout the rules, after one of its Boeing 777-200ERs came within five metres of a drone while on approach to Auckland airport on 25 March. The pilots of the aircraft were operating a flight from Tokyo Haneda with 278 passengers and crew onboard when they spotted the drone within controlled airspace. Flights at the airport were subsequently shut down for 30 minutes. “The pilots spotted the drone at a point in the descent where it was not possible to take evasive action. It passed so close to the incoming aircraft that they were concerned it may have been ingested into the engine," says the airline’s chief operations integrity and standards officer David Morgan. An engineering inspection after it landed cleared the aircraft and engines of any foreign object damage. It is the second incident where an Air NZ aircraft has come close to a UAV operating in controlled airspace. In September 2015, a UAV came close to an A320 at 6,000ft while it was ascending from Christchurch airport. A Civil Aviation Authority investigation was dropped a few weeks afterwards after it failed to identify the operator of the UAV. Under New Zealand regulations, UAV operators who breach operating rules face a potential fine of up to NZ$5000. Morgan says however that this does not provide enough deterrence. "It's clear the time has now come for tougher deterrents for reckless drone use around airports to safeguard travellers, including imposing prison terms in the case of life-threating incidents," says Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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