Small IDF drone crashes in northern West Bank, cause unknown
Military says Skylark UAV that fell out of sky while conducting reconnaissance mission was collected by troops
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
A small Israeli military drone crashed in the northern West Bank on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces said.
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 said.
It was the second Skylark drone to crash in the past few weeks, after one fell on the border with the Gaza Strip on December 23, before being collected by troops.
In October, two Skylark drones crashed in the West Bank cities of Hebron and Nablus in separate incidents.
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, which are used primarily for reconnaissance missions, have crashed in hostile territory over the years.
