Drone disguised as bird found after crash in Somalia

A drone shaped like a bird is the last thing anyone would expect to see in the skies of a war zone. Image Sawirro

The use of drones in a war zone is nothing new and has been a staple for reconnaissance operations for some time now. There are, however, various ways of camouflaging them as can be seen in this crashed drone in Somalia.

What may look like a large bird is actually a cleverly disguised drone. It was discovered in Mogadishu, and has been associated with a drone from Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) that went down last May 1, according to a report from The Verge.

Apart from its bird-like appearance, the drone also appears to be able to move its “wings” to better simulate how a real bird would move in the air.

The US Army also utilizes a similar drone that can be deployed by hand or launched from a cannon. It can also simulate flapping wings, making it more inconspicuous while it goes about its reconnaissance missions.

It was not clear what company manufactured the Somalian drone. Companies, however, have been doing extensive research to better mimic the movements of animals such as birds and four-legged mammals as exemplified by the SpotMini from Boston Dynamics.  Alfred Bayle

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