Military target drone 'Banshee' lands in Srikakulam fishermen’s nets
Officials of the Navy and Intelligence agency were informed about the British-made drone. More details are to be ascertained.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 2 Feb 2023 11:41 AM GMT
Srikakulam: A military aerial target drone ‘Banshee’ was caught in the fishermen’s net at Bhavanapadu beach in Srikakulam district on 2 February. The surprised fishermen immediately informed the Marine Police.
Officials of the Navy and Intelligence agency were informed about the British-made drone. More details are to be ascertained.
Developed by Meggitt Defence Systems, Banshee is an aerial target for surface-to-air and air-to-air weapon systems. The aircraft is designed to float for overwater operations recovery. These are commonly used for developing and testing military systems and training military cruise on threat identification. Target drones are launched into the air and then shot down using missiles or other weapons in test firings.
A similar target drone was retrieved by the fishermen in Odisha in August 2020. At that time, the drone was flown as part of a radar calibration exercise of the Indian Air Force (IAF). The drone’s length is about 2.84 m, wingspan 2.49 m, and height 0.86 m. It weighs around 73 kg. Travelling at a maximum speed of 200 km/hr, it can fly nearly 75 minutes with a service ceiling of 23,000 ft.
