U.S. soldiers in Iraq are about to receive a new intelligence-gathering tool, a small, hand-launched unmanned aircraft that could prove useful in trying to thwart the persistent insurgent attacks military forces are exposed to. U.S. forces have been relying heavily on UAVs to detect potential attackers and to support efforts to round up suspected militias during repeated raids in Tikrit and other parts of Iraq, according to government and industry representatives. Although the UAVs have been highly praised, Lt. Gen. James T. Con-way, commander of the First Marine Expeditionary Force, told senators last week that the bulk of U.S. intelligence on insurgents, about 95%, still is provided by Iraqis, not by technical collection means.
展开▼
