Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
A small Israeli military drone crashed in the northern West Bank earlier today, the Israel Defense Forces says.
The drone, a Skylark model, was on a reconnaissance mission when it fell out of the sky for as-yet-unknown reasons.
The device was collected by troops shortly after, the IDF says.
An IDF soldier with a Skylark drone during a drill at the Tze’elim army base, August 5, 2013. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)
The “sky rider,” as it’s known in Hebrew, is a tactical surveillance drone created by Elbit Systems and operated by the IDF’s Artillery Corps.
The miniature unmanned aerial vehicle can be launched by one or two people, depending on the model, and once airborne provides a live video feed to soldiers on the ground.
Many such comparatively inexpensive UAVs have crashed in hostile territory over the years.
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Wednesday, January 4, 2023
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