The United Nations force in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) deployed two drones Tuesday to monitor borders, marking the first time unmanned systems have been used in an international peacekeeping mission, the world body said.
The drones were launched in a northern area of the African country to watch the borders with Rwanda and Uganda, which rebel militants use to slip in and out of the DRC to wage war against the government and to gain control of mineral rich regions.
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| The Falco UAV readying for deployment in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo by MONUSCO. |
“This is a first in the history of the United Nations that such an advanced technological tool has been used in [sic] peacekeeping mission,” Hervé Ladsous, the U.N. undersecretary general for peacekeeping, said after the aircraft launched from the city of Goma in North Kivo Province.
The Falco UAVs are built by Selex ES, a UAV, electronics and information technology company based in the United Kingdom and Italy and a subsidiary of Finmeccanica. They are being operated by the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO).
“The U.N. needs to use these kinds of tools to better perform its mandate,” Ladsous said.
The United Nations believes the drones will enhance capabilities to detect the flow of militants and weapons across borders. The aircraft are not armed.
According to Selex ES, Falco is designed for long endurance and survivability and can carry a wide suite of payloads. It is 5.25 meters long with a wingspan of 7.2 meters and weight of 420 kilograms. It has a link range of 200 kilometers and can stay aloft for 8-14 hours. Its maximum payload is 70 kilograms and maximum altitude is 5,000 meters, a company fact sheet said.