May 15, 2006: Canadian soldiers have found a way to turn noisy UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) into a unique psychological warfare weapon. Afghanistan has been a popular place to use UAVs. Afghanistan is a big place, a lot of it not covered by forest or heavy brush. UAVs give the users a major advantage, the ability to see what's going on over a wide area. But until the Canadians came along with their Sperwer UAVs, the American ones were largely silent. U.S. troops used either small, battery powered, low flying micro-UAVs, or larger, high flying ones like Predator. The $2.6 million Sperwer LE (Long Endurance) weighs 772 pounds, carries a 110 pound payload, is 12 feet long and has an endurance of 12 hours. Sperwer can operate up to 200 kilometers from its ground control unit. But the Sperwer uses a noisy engine (think lawnmower) and flies low enough to be heard. At first, the Canadian troops thought this was a disadvantage, as it let the Taliban below know they were being watched. But then the Canadians found out that Afghans had learned, when fighting the Russians during the 1980s, to fall flat on the ground when they heard aircraft overhead. From the air, the dirt colored Afghan clothes blended in with the ground, making the prone Afghans invisible. That doesn't work with UAVs, who have a much better view of the ground than passing aircraft or helicopters. UAVs also carry heat sensors. But it gets worse for the prone Taliban. Not only are the bad guys now immobile, but they tend to stay that way for a while, as the Sperwer circles overhead, and the pursuing Canadian troops get closer.
The Afghans aren't stupid, and some have figured out this catch-22. The correct solution is to try and shoot the UAV down. The Iraqis have figured that out, and when they spot a UAV circling above them, they often open fire. UAVs are small, moving, and not easy to hit. But many do return with bullet holes in them. Fortunately, this sort of news travels slowly in Afghanistan, and for the moment, even after three years of Sperwers in Afghanistan, there are still Taliban who will hit the deck when they hear the two-stroke engine overhead.
