The crew of a fishing boat pulled a US military drone from the sea on Saturday. It is believed to be a replica of the Iranian Shahed-136 drone, and the aircraft was found near Eglin Air Force Base.
Hot Spots Charters, a company based in Pensacola, posted photos of the drone alongside the catch on Facebook. Captain Daniel Arsenault wrote: "Great six hours with this crew! If anyone is looking for their drone, contact Hot Spots." In the second photo, the drone is seen taking up the entire bow of the boat.
Eglin Air Force Base is the headquarters of the 96th Test Wing of the US Air Force. The base's spokesperson confirmed to the War Zone that one aircraft was missing from their inventory. "We were conducting testing during which the aircraft crashed," the spokesperson said. The base did not specify the exact model.
The aircraft found is believed to be the FLM 136, an American copy of the Iranian Shahed-136. The Shahed-136 is widely used in the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, with various versions of the drone being the weapon most frequently used by Russian forces to attack military and civilian targets across Ukraine.
The US military announced last year that it had developed its own version, known as the LAC (Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System). The drones are produced by Spektreworks in Arizona. They are 2.9 meters long, have a wingspan of 2.5 meters and weigh around 32 kilograms. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated in March that the LAC drones are used in conflicts with Iran as a "counter to Iranian production."
Captain Arsenault told CNN that he had come across the drone by chance. "We were out in the open sea and saw it floating," he said. The published photos show that the aircraft is missing its nose cone and rear propeller.
Hot Spots Charters later announced that the military had taken the aircraft. "Black SUVs arrived and picked up their drone, everything is under control," the company posted on social media. One user wrote: "Good catch, but they are too pointy and have a taste of aviation fuel," while another added: "Shouldn't they be returned to the sea immediately?"
