Canadian UAV proving useful against Taliban

Ottawa: The Canadian army’s unmanned spy drone, the Sperwer, may sound like a domestic lawnmower but the noise is enough to pin down the Taliban in Afghanistan.

"At night when things are quiet, this is a two-stroke motor so you know it’s in the area," says Major John Casey, head of an operation using the French-made drones at the coalition air base in the southern city of Kandahar.

The effect of the sound on Taliban insurgents was demonstrated during a sweep last month by Afghan security forces in the west of Kandahar province.

To stop the rebels from breaking an Afghan cordon and escaping, the Canadians flew over the area with a Sperwer as they illuminated the area with flares.

The rebels know that the drone, made by French group Sagem, transmits real-time images of the area under surveillance by day or night. On hearing the characteristic throbbing of the aircraft, the men froze so they would not be spotted. Fourteen were eventually rounded up.

"When they hear it, they keep their head down," says Casey.

The machine, complete with triangular delta wings and a wooden propeller that is out of keeping with the sophisticated electronics on board but easy to replace, is useful for immobilizing the Taliban.

It also transmits data to intelligence-gathering agents, can carry out reconnaissance and give precise coordinates of a target, said Casey.

The live feed of information also offers commanders in the battlefield a new perspective on a situation, enabling them to quickly adjust tactics as required.

This is particularly useful in the difficult, mountainous terrain of Afghanistan. "It gives the commander a much larger view," says the major.

During a recent flight, the major was commanding eight men to launch the machine, pilot it and make it perform its tasks.

The three-meter (10-foot) drone is pneumatically catapulted into the air by a collapsible rampart installed on a truck; it does not need a runway as does the larger American model, the Predator, and can be flown from almost anywhere.

It can stay aloft for five hours, depending on the weather conditions.

The head of a Sperwer mission is a helicopter pilot and the machine itself is flown by an artillery man who has been trained to maneuver the heavily automated machine.

Also in the team is someone in charge of the cameras and a soldier specializing in intelligence gathering and who makes the first assessments about what the plane picks up.

On its return to earth, the drone releases a parachute and its fall is softened by airbags - if all goes well.

The Canadians lost a Sperwer during their first mission in Afghanistan in November 2003 and the machine has presented some technical problems, which have led Denmark to abandon its development.

But Casey is satisfied enough with the aircraft, as is the Canadian military, which will have a fleet of 11 in place by June to assist in their fight against Taliban and other Islamic insurgents.