Canada Buys More UAVs

December 24, 2005: Canada has bought five more Sperwer UAVs, at a cost of $2.6 million each. The latest version is the Sperwer LE (Long Endurance). This model 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. Canada has been using the Sperwers in Afghanistan. There have been several crashes, but, overall, Canadian troops have been satisfied with the UAVs performance. France, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark, Greece and Canada are all now using the French built Sperwer UAV, which is being used heavily in Balkan peacekeeping missions as well.