Four Months: Four Unmanned Aircraft Down In Afghanistan

For the fourth time in as many months, a Canadian UAV operating in Afghanistan has either crashed or made a hard landing. The record seems to validate concerns from both critics and experts that conditions in Afghanistan are just too tough for the French-made drones.

The latest incident occurred on Saturday, when a Sperwer UAV (file photo of type, above), built by the French company SAGEM and its Quebec-based subsidiary, was knocked out of action when its controller forced it to land in a field near Kabul.

"The Sperwer had difficulty gaining its normal operating altitude," said Lt. Col. Dana Clarke, the UAV project director, quoted by Canadian Press.

The UAV had launched about 15 minutes earlier from Camp Julien when it was forced to land in a field. "Because the aircraft was headed toward a populated area, a decision was made to force it to land in a field," Clarke said.

The $2 million Sperwer involved in Saturday's incident is completely out of service -- at least, for the time being. Its nose cone was broken and one wing cracked. "The damage is beyond the repair of our local facilities," said Master Warrant Officer Yves Roy of the UAV program. "It has to be sent back to France. Then we'll decide if it is feasible to repair, or if they'll just take parts off of it."

The Canadian drones are pushing hard to operate in Afghanistan, where launch and recovery operations are often conducted at almost 7,000 MSL. Dust storms and unpredictable winds make the going even tougher.

And don't for a moment think the problem is confined to Canadian UAVs. Last month, a German UAV was forced down by unknown circumstances. It landed on a Kabul rooftop.

FMI: www.sagem.com