UAV - FN velger flytype

UN Chooses Falco for Congo Surveillance

 Posted on August 6, 2013 by The Editor

The United Nations has selected its first unarmed surveillance aircraft, an Italian-made plane that will be tried out by peacekeepers in eastern Congo. U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said last Thursday the world body’s peacekeeping department chose an unmanned aircraft system produced by SELES ES, known as the Falco, which is “capable of carrying a range of payloads including several types of high-resolution sensors.” In January, the U.N. Security Council gave approval for the trial use of unarmed UAS for eastern Congo. It’s also given peacekeepers an unprecedented offensive mandate to attack rebels. Nesirky said deployment of the medium-altitude, medium-endurance UAS is planned in the coming weeks. He said it will allow U.N. peacekeepers, especially in eastern Congo, “to monitor the movements of armed groups and protect the civilian population more efficiently.” However, The Inner City Press has raised questions about the secrecy surrounding the selection process, citing recent crashes in Pakistan and Wales as cause for concern.