Mysterious bird-like drone may have popped up in both Iraq and Pakistan, origin still unknownMadison Ruppert, Contributor A reader of The Aviationist tipped them off to a video posted on May 28, 2009 showing the drone captured by the Iraqi Hezbollah in Iraq which is eerily similar to the drone which was captured in Pakistan. The provenance of the drone is shrouded in a thick veil of mystery since no nation would take responsibility for the device which has, according to Danger Room, silver wings and a span about the size of a grown mans outstretched arms, the drone was clearly more than a hobbyists toy: the remains of a camera were near the crash site, a camera that fit into the robotic birds belly, ostensibly for spying on insurgents. The dimensions of the two drones are similar and the designs obviously look alike as well; although, Its clearly not the same drone, as the wings are obviously different: the mystery drones wings are straighter and more sharply angled than the SmartBirds sleeker, more rounded wings, which mimic those of the gull, according to Danger Room. The nation or entity behind the drone is difficult to determine outside from speculation based on the nations currently involved in operations in Pakistan. However, Danger Room seems to think it belong so the United States in writing: Iraqi Hezbollah date its photos of the mystery drone to May 2009 in Basra, a major city in southern Iraq. Back then, U.S. troops were training their Iraqi counterparts on new-line intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems. Hmm. While the video and screenshots dont reveal any new technical information on the drone, it does show that the drone in Iraq and that in Pakistan are closely related. Both have a design which relies on flapping wings, a trapezoidal tail feather and a spherical camera placed in the belly of the bird. However, the drone recovered in Pakistan has a tailfin on the underside of the rear feather which the drone in Iraq is missing; and the version found in Iraq is a duller color than the reflective silver drone in Pakistan. The fact that it was probably already flying in Iraq two years before crashing in Pakistan, proves that the bird-like UAV is not a toy but a small combat proven spy drone, writes The Aviationists David Cenciotti. This deals a significant blow to those who have repeatedly claimed that it was actually just a DIY drone, evidenced by Danger Room tagging the latest post with DIY Drones. However, since we really have no idea who made the drone or who was operating it, one cannot say with certainty that it is not a DIY creation of some group somewhere, although I find this quite unlikely. That being said, it wouldnt be all that damaging for the United States to confirm that it is our drone given that we are already running deadly drone operations around the globe. Ultimately, its impossible to speculate on the issue with any degree of certainty since we know very little about the drone and its origin, but it will be fascinating to see if more information comes out or if more appearances of the strange device begin to surface. Did I forget anything or miss any errors? Would you like to make me aware of a story or subject to cover? Or perhaps you want to bring your writing to a wider audience? Feel free to contact me at admin@EndtheLie.com with your concerns, tips, questions, original writings, insults or just about anything that may strike your fancy. Please support our work and help us start to pay contributors by doing your shopping through our Amazon link or check out some must-have products at our store. This article first appeared at End the Lie. linkwithin_text=Related Articles: 