A Flying Dutchman to the rescue
(BRUSSELS2) The Scan Eagle made its first flights in the Gulf of Aden at the beginning of August. Based on the HrMs Rotterdam, the flagship of Ocean Shield, NATO's anti-piracy operation, the Dutch Navy's drone is a valuable addition to monitoring the area and spotting any suspicious activity.
A team of 19 soldiers has set up and operates this drone in the open sea. This represents "a first" on the Dutch side, we are assured in The Hague. And despite the heat, 45°, the system holds up well, and we had no problems" notes one of the operators. The Scan Eagle with a wingspan of 3 meters lasts about 16 hours in flight, is equipped with an infrared camera, allowing images to be transmitted in real time. The information collected is analyzed and shared with the ships of the NATO in the area.
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