No Pilots Required

Canada's air force to establish first all pilotless formation in Afghanistan
Canada's air force will cross a technological threshhold this month with the establishment in Afghanistan of its first organized flight of pilotless aircraft.

An entire flight of Sperwer tactical uninhabited aerial vehicles will soon be fully operational for reconnaissance missions over the windswept desert and craggy mountains passes in the vicinity of Kandahar.

A few of the remote-controlled aircraft are already deployed, but more are on the way.

Using real-time video and a host of infrared and other specialized sensors, the drones are sent aloft to monitor the surrounding countryside and to track down insurgents, hopefully before they become a threat to Canada's 2,200 troops on the ground. - CP